Manchester police begin enforcement of ordinance banning public camping

BAN ON ENCAMPMENTS, 14 TO 1. THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN EASILY PASSED THE ENCAMPMENT BAN THURSDAY NIGHT, WITH ONLY ONE VOTE AGAINST IT, BUT THE PUBLIC WAS NOT CONVINCED IT WAS A GOOD MOVE. AS THEY STATED MANY TIMES THROUGHOUT THE MEETING, WE CANNOT ARREST OUR WAY OUT OF HOMELESSNESS. WE CANNOT ARREST OUR WAY OUT OF HOMELESSNESS. UNHOUSED PEOPLE NEED HOMES, NOT HANDCUFFS. UNDER THE AMENDED RULE, POLICE CAN REMOVE PEOPLE FROM THE STREETS DAY OR NIGHT, REGARDLESS OF EMERGENCY SHELTER AVAILABILITY. JIARUI SAYS THE CITY HAS THE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO BE ON THE STREETS. IF YOU WANT HELP AND YOU NEED HELP IN THE CITY OF MANCHESTER, IT EXISTS. WHAT WE WON’T TOLERATE IS PEOPLE BREAKING OUR LAWS OR NOT IN OR IGNORING OUR ORDINANCES. PEOPLE FOUND CAMPING OUT ON THE STREETS OR IN PARKS ARE SUBJECT TO A $250 FINE, THE MAYOR SAYS ARRESTING PEOPLE IS NOT PART OF THE PLAN. THE ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, THIS IS NOT CRIMINALIZING IT. NOBODY IS GOING TO JAIL AS A RESULT OF THIS. BUT THIS IS THE DETERRENCE EFFECT. BUT THERE ISN’T A CLEAR OUTLINE STATING WHAT HAPPENS IF A FINE GOES UNPAID AND CITIZENS ARE WORRIED ABOUT POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES. THAT JUST PUTS MORE PEOPLE INTO MORE NORMAL SITUATIONS WHERE THEY WOULD THEN BE FORCED BACK INTO HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE NOW THEY HAVE A RECORD, IT WOULD BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A JOB OR HOUSING. THE MAYOR SAYS HE HAS PUT AN 11 STEP COMPREHENSIVE PLAN INTO PLACE SINCE HE TOOK OFFICE TO HELP UNHOUSED PEOPLE. NOW THAT INCLUDES HELPING PEOPLE GET IDENTIFICATION BUS PASSES TO GET TO WORK AND EXPANDING MENTAL HEALTH RES