Juneau Assembly to homeless: Sleep in the wrong place, pay a fine

The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly sent a message to the town’s unsheltered at a Monday meeting: Go to sleep in the wrong place and you might end up in jail.

With a 5-4 vote at a regularly scheduled Assembly meeting Monday night, the Assembly allowed the Juneau Police Department to evict people sleeping on private property in a narrowly defined area of downtown. If they don’t move, they can be fined. If they still don’t move, they can be arrested for disorderly conduct.

The new rule will take effect April 15, after Thane Campground opens for the summer. It’s enforceable between midnight and 7 a.m. in a long, narrow band downtown below Fourth Street extending the entirety of South Franklin Street.

The vote is an amendment to the city’s existing policy against camping in urban areas.

Read more: http://juneauempire.com/local/2017-02-14/assembly-homeless-sleep-wrong-place-pay-fine