APD, City staff give update on camping ban implementation as final phase gets underway

AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- With the final phase of Austin's effort to re-implement a ban on public camping now underway, city officials gave an update on the progress and enforcement of the ban Tuesday afternoon.

Austin Police interim chief Joseph Chacon and City of Austin Homeless Strategy Officer Dianna Grey touched on the city's efforts so far, along with future plans for transitional housing and other enforcement issues.

Chacon said that his officers will use arrests as a last resort. "We will look to, for enforcement efforts, always go with the lowest level of enforcement," Chacon said. "Generally, that's the citation, and before we even go to the citation, we're trying to get that voluntary compliance. We've found that in the overwhelming majority of cases that one of those two options is sufficient to go ahead and get people to move."

Under the fourth and final phase of the city's plan to implement the camping ban, APD can arrest any individual that refuses to voluntarily leave an area after they've been issued a citation.

Chacon said whenever possible, those citations and any necessary arrests will be funneled through the Downtown Austin Community Court. If an arrest becomes necessary when the court is not available, Chacon said the individual would be transferred to the court as soon as it opens.

As of last week, APD officers have issued 572 warnings and 24 citations, and have made no arrests since May 11 when the city's four-phase implementation process began.

Grey touched on the city's efforts to transition those who are experiencing homelessness into transitional housing and other shelters. The city's HEAL Initiative has provided room for 110 individuals so far, covering three different encampment sites across the city with a fourth still to come.