Berkeley Cracks Down On Homeless People
BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) -- Berkeley city leaders have approved a controversial ordinance that cracks down on homeless people in an effort to clean up the city.
KNTV reports Wednesday that a new law limits the use of public space to store personal belongings, prevents shopping carts from being in one spot for more than one hour, and outlaws lying down inside planter beds. It also prohibits public urination.
Three dissenting council members sided with homeless advocates, some of whom camped outside to draw attention to their plight.
There are provisions in the ordinance that would provide services for those living on the streets. The new law mandates that the city fund the purchase of 50 to 100 secure storage bins for the homeless, provide additional bathrooms on Telegraph Avenue and downtown and provide mobile showers for public use.
