Dana Point council approves ordinance to curb overnight sleeping in vehicles, pairs enforcement with outreach

The Dana Point City Council on Sept. 16 approved an ordinance amending chapter 12 (Vehicles and Traffic) of the Dana Point Municipal Code to allow officers to investigate and address instances of people sleeping in vehicles and related nuisance behavior.

The change, framed by city staff as an enforcement tool paired with outreach, passed after more than an hour of public comment and council discussion that weighed residents’ quality‑of‑life concerns against outreach and services for people experiencing homelessness.

Council members and staff said the ordinance is intended as a tool to open contact with people in vehicles — for example, to allow deputies or outreach staff to knock on a car window, check welfare and offer services — rather than an immediate punitive measure. Captain Frank Gonzalez of the sheriff’s Dana Point police services said the ordinance “gives the sheriff’s department another option to further look into and engage with these individuals to see what other resources can be offered,” and that enforcement would remain a last resort.

Supporters on the council said the measure addresses ongoing problems such as blocked parking, trash, and human waste reported in parts of the city. Council member Federico said crews and outreach workers have documented repeat vehicles and “people that are resistant to services,” and that existing statutes had not provided a reliable way to open a conversation without witnessing a separate criminal act. Council member Frost said outreach data show many people do not seek help until they are already unhoused and argued the ordinance could improve connections to services.

Opponents and some council members urged caution. Council member Vilar questioned whether the new tool might chill harmless behavior — such as someone briefly sleeping off alcohol in a parked vehicle — and asked staff how the ordinance would be administered to preserve outreach and avoid unnecessary criminalization. City staff and the sheriff’s representatives repeatedly emphasized outreach would remain the “first layer” of response and said deputies would use the ordinance to motivate individuals toward services when outreach alone had not been successful.

Public comments included residents who said vehicles repeatedly parked overnight outside homes left neighbors feeling unsafe and described instances of defecation and threatening behavior. At the same time, speakers urged compassion for people living in vehicles.

The council approved the staff recommendation to adopt the ordinance and provide the sheriff’s department with the supplemental enforcement option. The motion and final vote were taken on the council floor; the transcript records the measure as approved following the council discussion (vote count not specified in the public record excerpt). The ordinance will be incorporated into the Dana Point Municipal Code and enforced by Dana Point police services alongside the city’s outreach program.

The council’s discussion stressed that outreach staff — identified in the meeting as Tamara Thea Dawson — will continue to be the primary point of contact for service referrals and housing navigation, with deputies using the ordinance to support those outreach goals when necessary.