Maryland Democrats have introduced a bill to prevent police from removing homeless encampments from public property.
The bill aims to prevent police from enforcing Failure to Obey Lawful Orders laws.
Democratic delegate Sheila Ruth said during a committee hearing that “we shouldn’t be destroying homeless encampments,” according to a report from the Washington Free Beacon.
“Ruth is pushing to permit homeless encampments in Maryland as Democratic politicians roll back on similar policies across the country. The Los Angeles City Council in October banned homeless camps in 54 locations. Austin, Texas, in May overwhelmingly voted to ban public camping across the city. Seattle and Washington, D.C., have cleared out homeless camps in recent months, and New York City mayor Eric Adams (D.) on Friday released a plan to remove homeless people from public areas such as subway trains,” the report explains.
There are an estimated 2,000 homeless people in the city of Baltimore alone.
The bill notes that “for purposes of a prosecution under this section, a public conveyance or a public place need not be devoted solely to public use.”
“The last couple of years the focus of Maryland legislators has unfortunately been to treat criminals as victims and encourage breaking the law,” Republican State Senator Michael Hough told the Washington Free Beacon.
Baltimore, like many other Democrat cities, has been struggling with increased crime and poverty in recent years. The new bill will surely exacerbate the issue.
