Regarding homelessness, the Ninth Circuit had developed an excellent rule. If there is bedspace available and a person refuses services, authorities could proceed under trespass guidelines. But now the U.S. Supreme Court has turned that on its head by saying that even when there’s no space available, we can just pretend that people are deliberately outside in 105-degree heat. Let me be clear, when criminal behavior is afoot, we have and will continue to hold people accountable. But arresting people for sleeping is not the way. Fortunately, I don’t foresee our local authorities using precious resources in an attempt to arrest our way out of chronic illness. While the Supreme Court might tolerate cruelty, our community does not.
COUNTY STATEMENT: Pima County struggles with affordable housing availability and the necessary funding to reduce or eliminate acute or chronic homelessness. We cannot arrest our way out of the problem and simply being unhoused is not a crime. If a homeless encampment is a problem, we have a longstanding policy to deploy assistance resources to these areas and affect relocations before requiring people to leave an area.
Media Contact: Shawndrea Thomas
Director of Communications
Pima County Attorney’s Office
(520) 724-5738 (Office)
(520) 310-4720 (Mobile)
Shawndrea.Thomas@pcao.pima.gov
