Shakopee this week banned camping on city property, giving police more authority to clear homeless encampments that have occasionally appeared along the Minnesota River.
The rule, which the City Council unanimously adopted Tuesday, prohibits people from living on city land in temporary shelters, including tents, lean-tos, shacks, camp trailers and wagons.
Violators can be charged with a misdemeanor and fined a maximum of $1,000 and jailed for up to 90 days in jail, Police Chief Jeff Tate said.
However, Tate said judges rarely hand down the most stringent punishment for this offense.
The new policy, which took effect immediately, comes about seven months after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it’s not unconstitutional to fine or jail people for breaking anti-camping ordinances when shelter isn’t available.
More than 100 cities and towns — from ruby red West Virginia to blue California — have banned sleeping outside in the wake of the high court decision. Brainerd joined those cities in August when officials outlawed camping on most public property despite opposition from some residents.
In July, Duluth classified sleeping on city property as an ordinance violation with a maximum $200 fine instead of a misdemeanor, which could result in jail time. City officials walked back the harsher punishment after critics blasted it for failing to address the root causes of homelessness, including a dearth of shelter space and affordable housing.
And in Rochester, where city officials instituted a ban several months before the Supreme Court ruling, staff at shelters have worried the approach will make it harder for people to get help.