City councilors in Brockton, Massachusetts, voted to crack down on homeless encampments Tuesday after a heated public meeting.
In a 7-to-4 vote, they approved a new ordinance that would fine people camping on public property $200 a day. The council also voted to punish loitering in public places with a $50 fine.
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During the meeting, some councilors emphasized that Salisbury Brook Park and the area near the Centre Street Bridge are the sections in town where homelessness, loitering and fear among residents and visitors are major concerns. They also mentioned that small business owners are leaving the area due to the unhoused population in Brockton.
"Small business owners, should they have to clean up when someone defecates in front of their doorways? It's absolute disgusting and unacceptable," said Councilor Shirley Asack in defense of the ordinance. "But we're not listening to our constituents. People have been screaming for years and years; something has to be done."
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Not all of the councilors agreed with the decision. In fact, some were concerned that it would burden police, ignore larger mental health issues and create more problems for the city.
"It's a recipe for disaster and there will be unexpected consequences," said Councilor-at-Large Jean Bradley Derenoncourt. "It's an opportunity for a lawsuit."
It was also brought up that some bridges where unhoused people in Brockton congregate are owned by the state, meaning people there could not be fined by the city, since they wouldn't be in its jurisdiction.
Brockton follows Fall River among the first cities in Massachusetts to utilize a recent Supreme Court ruling that makes it possible to ban anyone from sleeping and camping in public.
