Deputies Lose Authority To Cite Beach Campers
Written by 991KBU on October 26, 2018
Sheriffs deputies in Malibu have lost their ability to issue citations against people sleeping on public property.
That’s the opinion of the sheriffs department … reacting to a decision recently in the ninth circuit Court of Appeals.
The federal court ruling has thrown efforts to enforce bands on camping in vehicles on Pacific Coast Highway into question.
City manager Reva Feldman tells KBUU News the matter came up on a court case out of Idaho
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“In Boise Idaho they determined that there wasn’t a shelter available or readily available and so that was the deciding factor that a person couldn’t be cited for being in public, sleeping in public, if they couldn’t get to a shelter.”
Feldman said she is not sure if the campers that are showing up in recreational vehicles on Pacific Coast Highway at the beaches in Malibu can be cited for anything other than a parking violation.
But she said it’s important for owners of vacant land to file a letter that gives the sheriff’s office permission to oust homeless encampments from their property.
Without an agency letter … law enforcement is not able to enter private land.
Copies of the letter are available for residents to download and sign on the cities website.
