(The Center Square) – Seven months after the U.S. Supreme Court granted the authority, Spokane County sheriff’s deputies can now break up homeless encampments regardless of nearby shelter capacity.
The Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the code amendment Tuesday after hearing public testimony. The move follows SCOTUS overturning a lower ruling last June that prohibited the enforcement of camping bans without providing adequate shelter space.
While less visible in the unincorporated areas, homelessness continues to impact business and daily life. The crisis isn’t as evident as in the city of Spokane, but frustration remains as the region grapples with an issue that no one has been able to solve.
“This gives us a tool, one that we don’t want to have to wield if we don’t have to,” Sheriff John Nowels testified, “but it gives us a tool to use if we need to.”
The Spokane County Sheriff’s Office requested the amendment in October, but the board didn’t act until Tuesday. Nowels said existing policy prioritizes voluntary compliance and connecting people with services, regardless of the code, before introducing the justice system.
Supporters say the amendment is needed to maintain public health, safety and access to rights-of-way for everyone. However, opponents labeled it another way to criminalize individuals who lack options as shelters fill up amid freezing temperatures.
“We need to know when we’re causing harm with our intention to help,” Wendy Fishburne, vice president of the East Spokane Business Association, testified, “when our good intentions fail us.”
Fishburne and others started marching from Spokane City Hall to the county campus earlier this week in what they called a “crisis walk.” Before sunrise, the group walks across the river, past their neighbors sleeping in the street, calling for coordinated action from both municipalities.
Like Tuesday’s hearing, the group includes business leaders, service providers and everyday residents, all looking for a meaningful solution as people freeze to death outside. While some participants sport different views on how to tackle the crisis, they sent the message together.
While in support, the commissioners emphasized that the amendment won’t solve homelessness, nor does it intend to. It’s another tool on the belt as the county devotes more resources toward housing, treatment and regional solutions with the rest of its neighbors.
“The number one housing solution for me is not our jail,” Commissioner Al French said. “This bill merely harmonizes what we have on the books with federal law, but it doesn’t change who we are; it doesn’t change how we care.”