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Douglas County explores countywide legal tools to address car camping and business policies
Summary
County Attorney Jeff Garcia outlined options including parking restrictions, county property prohibitions and using state public nuisance laws or failing-to-report rules to encourage large retailers to report minor crimes and discourage overnight vehicle camping. Municipal coordination would be needed for a uniform approach.
Jeff Garcia, Douglas County attorney, told members of the Douglas County Homeless Initiative on March 13 that the county is studying legal options to reduce vehicle-based camping and to address corporate policies that can limit local responses.
Garcia said the county is considering parking restrictions for oversized vehicles, opting into neighborhood or HOA-based overnight restrictions and prohibiting overnight parking on county property. He also described two legal approaches — using state public nuisance laws and a failing-to-report-minor-crime framework — that could give the county enforcement options if businesses do not report recurring shoplifting or related conduct on their premises.
"The wall is not black," Garcia said, drawing a distinction between discussing options and adopting immediate action. He described how corporate policies written out of state can prevent local managers from working with the HEART outreach team or reporting minor crimes and said that can make certain retail sites magnets for theft and camping.
Garcia gave examples of potential tools: a county ordinance targeting failures to report documented patterns of minor crime that could include fines or require signage, and countywide rules for parking on county land. He urged municipal partners to consider parallel ordinances so businesses operating across jurisdictions would face a uniform expectation.
Commissioners and municipal representatives said they favor a consistent approach. Mayor Pro Tem Jay Carpenter of Lone Tree and council representatives from Parker discussed drafting local loss-prevention ordinances to complement county work. Garcia noted the board can adopt laws only for unincorporated Douglas County but said he is willing to work with municipal attorneys to build a unified countywide expectation.
Law enforcement and HEART staff also urged caution about creating "islands" of activity. Sheriff Darren Weekley and HEART partners said concentrated safe-parking sites can draw people and risks that deputies would need to address, including drug use and violence. Several municipal leaders said local enforcement, landlord engagement and business outreach may reduce camping without creating centralized parking hubs.
Garcia recommended continued collaboration between county attorneys, HEART outreach and municipalities to document patterns of nonreporting or nuisance behaviors before pursuing enforcement tools. He said the county wants to provide the HEART team with more tools while avoiding unintended consequences.
The discussion closed without a formal vote; Garcia and county staff will continue drafting options and working with municipal lawyers on consistent approaches.
