The city of Portland began enforcing its no-camping ban last November, not that anyone would notice. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported in January that no one had been convicted for violating the ban on public camping.
The policy prioritizes a service-first approach, offering alternatives before any citations or arrests are made. Citations may be issued if a camper refuses to accept a shelter space, but citations alone don’t mean much.
Central Precinct bike cop Eli Arnold explained how the system works to some neighbors in Couch Park last week:
“There are people who have been cited eight or nine times for it. All they have to do to get out of it is say, ‘All right, I’ll go to a shelter.’ They just have to say they’ll go.”
Those who refuse to even express such intent can still skirt penalties, Arnold said.
“The way it’s written—so specific—someone can show up within 30 days and say, “Oh, I went to a shelter a couple of weeks ago, one time,’ and they drop it.”
Arnold is again running for a District 4 council seat in November after narrowly missing the threshold two years ago to be elected to one of the three seats representing Portland’s westside.
