Proposed Camping Ban Targets Homeless

In an effort to rid Ventura parks of homeless campers, the City Council will consider an ordinance today that would prohibit camping and storage of personal property in city parks, beaches, parking lots and other public areas.

The proposed law is modeled after a hotly contested Santa Ana ordinance created to keep homeless campers out of that city’s parks.

Although critics claimed it was unconstitutional, the restrictive law was upheld in the state Supreme Court earlier this year.

Ventura parks and Police Department officials say such a law is needed here to support legally removing homeless campers who have taken up residence on public property. Existing camping laws do not give police officers that authority.

“We don’t have any general ordinance that would prohibit camping or storage of camping materials,” City Atty. Peter Bulens said. “This just puts in an ordinance that is very similar to Santa Ana’s.”

Pushed out of the Ventura River bottom after last winter’s floods, displaced squatters have moved into the city’s parks, beaches and alleys, creating a safety and health risk to themselves and others, city officials said.

“We have had numerous complaints from the public and actually our staff who have to go out on a daily basis to clean the parks,” said Greg Gilmer, a parks service administrator.

“There are safety hazards involved with the homeless camping there or leaving their belongings tucked under a bush or a tree,” he said.

If the law is approved, police officers and parks officials would be responsible for enforcing it. Initially, campers would be asked to leave and would be given referrals to emergency or transitional shelters. Repeat offenders would be fined and then arrested, police officials said.