As homelessness becomes increasingly visible in urban areas, social media is replete with news clips of city crews and police clearing out tents, garbage, and disabled vehicles from homeless encampments across the United States. From Philadelphia to Phoenix, cities are intensifying efforts to keep city property, including parks, safe and accessible for all residents—and police continue to play a central role.
Staggering Numbers
Homelessness is a multifaceted issue complicated by mental illness, substance abuse, and a crisis in affordable housing. According to federal data, on a single night in 2023, approximately 653,100 people—or about 20 out of every 10,000 people—were experiencing homelessness in the United States. Of those counted, 60 percent were in emergency shelters, transitional housing, or safe haven programs, while the remaining 40 percent were without shelter.
For many individuals experiencing homelessness, parks and other public property offer a temporary refuge. However, homeless encampments can grow quickly and become a source of trash and drug paraphernalia, making parks feel less safe and appealing to residents.
More Than Arrests
The role of police in addressing homelessness extends beyond enforcement. Many officers engage in community-policing strategies intended to foster more positive interactions with homeless individuals and connect them with social services and shelters.
Despite these efforts, residents and business owners continue to voice concerns. Limited resources often mean that officers have to be pulled from more critical duties to conduct sweeps of homeless encampments, only to watch people relocate to other parts of the city.
These situations underscore the challenges cities face when balancing societal expectations, legal constraints, and the realities of chronic homelessness. At a 2018 Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) in Long Beach, California, 250 law enforcement leaders, public officials, and researchers discussed police responses to homelessness. During the meeting, former Vancouver, Washington police chief James McElvain said, "Homelessness isn’t necessarily a law enforcement problem, but we are the ones who get the calls, and we will respond because that’s our responsibility. But we don’t have the resources to provide more shelter space or services for mental health. We need others to come to the table.”
Constitutional Changes
Many cities in the west, in particular, have faced legal constraints in policing outdoor camping. In related cases in Oregon and Idaho, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals—which has jurisdiction over nine western states—ruled in 2018 and 2022 that cities couldn't punish individuals experiencing homelessness for sitting, sleeping, or lying on public property if they had nowhere else to go. To do so violated their constitutional rights against cruel and unusual punishment.
While the ruling did not prohibit reasonable restrictions on camping in public spaces, it did force cities to make housing services available. However, in a landmark 6-3 decision in June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the lower court's rulings, saying fines of a few hundred dollars—or even 30 days in jail for repeat offenses—didn't meet the constitutional threshold of cruel and unusual punishment. The Supreme Court's ruling has significant implications for cities in the west, and public officials welcomed the clarity it provided.
"This decision removes the legal ambiguities that have tied the hands of local officials for years and limited their ability to deliver on common-sense measures to protect the safety and well-being of our communities," said California Governor Gavin Newsom, in a statement.
Mixture of Approaches
Research shows that cities are investing in collaborative efforts between law enforcement, social services, and community stakeholders to address homelessness. Additionally, cities continue to invest in traditional methods of making parks safer, including better lighting and surveillance cameras, with varying degrees of success.
In 2020, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a study examining the costs and strategies for addressing homeless encampments across nine major U.S. cities, including Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas. HUD found that costs ranged from $3.3 million in Houston to $8.5 million in San Jose, California. Many of the cities surveyed followed a "clearance and closure" approach that included outreach and offers of support for those displaced.
A majority (62 percent) of the cities also utilized interdepartmental Homeless Outreach Teams (HOTs) tasked with providing social services and crisis management to people experiencing homelessness. Seventy-six percent of the HOTs in the survey included police officers. A majority had the goal of enforcing civil or criminal infractions, with 43 percent including encampment removal.
Encampment Clean, With Services
Tacoma, Washington is one example of a city attempting to combine short and long-term solutions to achieve "functional zero" homelessness in which anyone newly experiencing homelessness has access to shelter and, eventually, permanent housing. In October 2022, city leaders voted to prohibit camping or storing personal belongings near public property and temporary shelters.
At the same time, Tacoma's Homeless Engagement Alternatives Liaison (HEAL) Team—which included four Tacoma police officers, a code compliance officer, eight outreach staff, and one designated crisis responder—conducted outreach in the community. In 2023, the city cleaned up a half a ton of debris from a total of 40 encampments while also offering services that included food and furniture banks, as well as emergency, temporary, and permanent housing.
Other municipalities—including Florida's Pinella County (St. Petersburg) and Santa Cruz, California—have created officially-sanctioned camping areas with such amenities as portable toilets, garbage services, and basic healthcare onsite.
Beyond camp cleanups, shelter, and security cameras, cities continue to try traditional options for deterring illegal activity in parks, whether due to homeless camping or not.
The city of Tracy, California, has installed surveillance cameras in several parks and conducted outreach to inform residents about the new security measures. Las Vegas installed a "Smart Parks" surveillance system in Baker Park that includes security cameras and analytics regarding the park's usage. In early 2024, the City of Raleigh, N.C. allotted over $500,000 for 86 security cameras and five new panic buttons in parks and green spaces.
Mixed Results
Unfortunately, effectiveness of surveillance cameras can also vary depending on how well they are monitored. For example, researchers at the Urban Institute, a Washington D.C. think tank, investigated the effectiveness of a $6.8 million surveillance system in Chicago's West Garfield Park and Humboldt Park neighborhoods in the early 2000s. The cameras featured flashing blue lights and were connected to a wireless network that enabled officers to monitor live camera feeds.
Researchers concluded the cameras were the most likely explanation for crime dropping by 12 percent in Humboldt Park. However, there was no change in crime rate in West Garfield Park, likely due to a lack of consistent monitoring on the part of police. Nonetheless, the study estimated that for every dollar spent on the surveillance system in Humboldt Park, the city saved $4.30 due to reductions in criminal justice and victims' costs.
The Trend of Multifaceted Approaches
As cities across the United States grapple with the complexities of homelessness, it is clear that a multifaceted approach is necessary. Anti-camping bans can keep city parks clear of the sight of illegal encampments, but they will fail to address the root causes of homelessness. Collaborative efforts that involve law enforcement, social services, and community stakeholders are crucial in creating sustainable solutions. Programs that combine immediate shelter and support with long-term housing and rehabilitation services show promise in addressing homelessness more effectively.
And while homeless advocates accuse homeless policies as punitive, police executives point out examples of officers who have gone above and beyond in responding to citizens experiencing homelessness. At the Police Executive Research Forum, leaders shared several examples. In one case in Indio, California, a pair of officers helped a man get showered, fed, and clothed and then drove him 77 miles to be reunited with his mother. In another case, a police sergeant in Vacaville, California, along with members of the Community Response Unit, helped a woman find an apartment and then paid for some of her move-in costs out of their own pockets.
The recent Supreme Court decision provides new opportunities for cities to manage public spaces, but it also underscores the importance of compassionate and comprehensive strategies. Balancing the enforcement of public safety with the provision of essential services remains a delicate and ongoing challenge.
