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Atlantic Beach commission vote Monday could result in arrests of homeless people

The ordinance would require police to tell people about homeless shelters, but if they refused to leave and there was a bed available they could be arrested.

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla — An ordinance that would impact people who are homeless in Atlantic Beach goes to a vote by the city commission Monday.

The ordinance would prohibit people from sleeping or camping in certain public places. It would require police to tell people about homeless shelters, but if they refused to leave and there was a bed available at a shelter they could be arrested.

Some who work with people who are homeless at the beach say the ordinance is an overstep that would punish people for being homeless. Those who support it say it would help by connecting people who are homeless with resources. 

"With this ordinance, I'm hearing concerns that it's essentially going to have people who are homeless get arrested for being homeless," First Coast News asked Atlantic Beach Mayor Ellen Glasser.

"That is one of the narratives that is out there, however it's really not quite that simple," Glasser replied.

This is one of the last issues Glasser will be involved in as mayor before her successor takes over. The proposed ordinance that would prohibit people from sleeping or camping in certain public places would update the current ordinance on loitering to have it comply with new legal standards, according to a staff report. The report states people living in public spaces raise safety concerns including unsanitary conditions.

Where some who work with people who are homeless at the beach have concerns: Glasser says the ordinance would require police to notify people about homeless shelters, but they could be arrested if there was a bed available at a shelter and they refused to leave where they were. 

There are no homeless shelters at the beach. Atlantic Beach's chief of police said in a November 14 meeting officers would at times transport people to shelters downtown.

Glasser argues the ordinance would be a step up from the current one because people would be told about homeless shelters.

"It's not really our objective to criminalize being homeless," Glasser said. "I think we're a caring community."

Glasser says she'll be asking the city commission to award grant money to the only church that has a cold weather shelter at the beach.

    

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