BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — The City of Broken Arrow moved along a proposed ordinance that would make it easier for police to handle homeless encampments on private property.
The ordinance, which will now head to a vote on Aug. 18, gives Broken Arrow police a better approach to situations involving private property, vacant lots and buildings, or large areas of land, specifically when the owner lives out of state.
"It's hard to track down the property owner, and a lot of times they don't know what's happening on their property," Councilor Lisa Ford said during the meeting. Ford used to work for BAPD.
WATCH: BA police talk proposed homeless camp ordinance
Councilor Justin Green, who is a corporal for the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, says it's a matter of public safety.
"This is an important ordinance, and i think it'l definitely help our police department do their job better, which will also help our citizens have more safety and security in their neighborhoods," Green said.
Here's what you need to know. If the ordinance passes, BAPD would first issue a written warning to someone who isn't given permission by the owner to be in a specific area.
"We have to give them the chance to move along," Broken Arrow Police Chief Lance Arnold said. "We have to tell them they can't stay there, and we have to give them a reasonable amount of time depending on how many belongings they have. And certainly our intent is to help them find resources."
If the problem continues, police could issue a citation or even arrest the individual, a step Chief Arnold says they aren't looking ever to take.
"If they're in that situation, then they're certainly not going to be able to afford a citation, and they don't want to go to jail either," Arnold said. "So it's really an opportunity to get them the help that they need."
Arnold says the resources they'll provide when issuing that warning include a mental health professional, along with officers specially trained to handle situations like this.
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