The City of Lakewood’s camping ban goes into effect soon. Here’s what you need to know.

Last month the City of Lakewood voted to ban overnight camping on public property within 15 miles of Lakewood City Hall. The ordinance goes into effect April 19, and the first violation will result in a misdemeanor. Under the ordinance, those who refuse available shelter may be arrested.

The overnight camping ban, and another ban on the use and disposal of “dangerous drugs” in public, is designed to move people experiencing homelessness into shelters and direct them to resources, as well as reduce crime and increase public safety, city officials say.

Lakewood Communications Manager Brynn Grimley said the ban gives police another tool to keep the community safe and prevent illegal activities that harm public life and the environment.

Arrests

Grimley said arrests will be up to the discretion of Lakewood police officers and their current workloads. Those arrested for a misdemeanor will likely be sent to the Nisqually Public Safety Facility, she said.

Lakewood police officers are familiar with the city’s homeless community and continue to work with the behavioral health contact team to engage people and connect them to resources, Grimley said.

“There’s a bunch of resources that our officers work hard to try to get people connected with. So really, this ordinance is more for the situation where the person or the individuals are just really being difficult,” Grimley said. “They’re refusing to leave, they’re causing a problem, it’s unsafe. They’re leaving their waste behind, both their garbage and their human waste. You know, it’s an unsanitary situation, it’s an unsafe situation for them and the public. That’s really where this is going to come into play.”

Community Service

According to the ordinance, before someone is fined for violating the overnight camping ban, “the court shall make an inquiry as to a person’s ability to pay.” If they cannot pay, “the court is explicitly authorized to order performance of community service or work crew in lieu of a monetary penalty.”

Grimley said any court-ordered community service would be determined by a judge.

So, how many shelter beds are available in Lakewood?

Grimley said as of March 30 there were eight emergency shelter beds available within city limits.

At Aspen Court, a south Tacoma hotel that was converted into a temporary shelter in 2021, the City of Lakewood has 12 beds reserved for Lakewood referrals, Grimley said. Ex-workers at Aspen Court recently described unsafe conditions and mismanagement at the transitional shelter, according to an investigation from The News Tribune published in March.

The City of Lakewood also “pays for an allocation of bed nights” at Catholic Community Services and Tacoma Rescue Mission, according to the city’s website.

The number of unique clients from Lakewood served by emergency shelters rose 46% from 2017 to 2022, according to a locally-administered data system that records and analyzes homelessness information.

According to the data system, in that time period the city of Lakewood referred 2,645 people to 60 different shelters operated by a variety of organizations, including Catholic Community Services, the Low Income Housing Institute, The Salvation Army, Tacoma Rescue Mission and the YWCA.