Sacramento DA: City's homeless response lenient, inconsistent, a “public safety crisis”

Thien Ho, district attorney of CA's capital city since November, has pledged to sue Sacramento city leaders unless they pick up the pace on clearing illegal encampments and citing homeless people who refuse shelter. Some label his proposal as unkind, but Ho claims (along with folks like SCC's Johnny Khamis) it's all about keeping our streets crime-free. An Associated Press story.

Tensions are rising in California’s capital city as the Sacramento district attorney threatened to file charges against city officials over their handling of the homelessness crisis, saying they are too lenient in their approach and are failing to enforce the rules.

District Attorney Thien Ho on Monday threatened to press criminal charges against city officials under state public nuisance laws if they don’t implement a slew of changes within 30 days, including a daytime camping ban where homeless people have to put their belongings in storage between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Ho was elected in 2022 after vowing on the campaign trail to address the city’s homelessness crisis. He began his public fight with City Hall officials last month when he launched an investigation into officials’ conduct. Ho said Sacramento city officials are “inconsistent” in enforcing rules, including an ordinance to keep sidewalks clear of encampments, resulting in “an unprecedented public safety crisis.”

Ho also wants the city to clear all 16 encampments within city’s limits, open 24-hour shelter beds for thousands of people who sleep on the streets each night, give out citations to those who decline shelter, and hire four more city attorneys to enforce city rules, among other things.

This article originally appeared in the Associated Press. Read the whole thing here.

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