South Salt Lake extends camping ban to all public property; council members voice concerns about shelter capacity and enforcement

SOUTH SALT LAKE — The South Salt Lake City Council voted Jan. 22 to adopt an ordinance enacting Chapter 12.01 of the South Salt Lake Municipal Code, expanding the city's prohibition on camping in public parks to "all public places," a change staff said is intended to give the city clearer authority to abate abandoned property and enforce camping ordinances.

The measure passed after public discussion during the council's unfinished business segment and a roll-call vote. City staff described the change as an extension of existing rules that will allow the city to address camping on city-owned property beyond parks. Council members and the police chief pressed staff and officers for details about how enforcement would work, how personal property would be handled and whether the city has sufficient shelter capacity to avoid displacing people in cold weather.

Why it matters: The ordinance affects people living unsheltered across public property in South Salt Lake and changes how and where city crews and law enforcement may act to remove abandoned property or enforce camping prohibitions. Several council members expressed concern about the implications for people experiencing homelessness during cold weather, and asked for assurances that enforcement would be paired with outreach and shelter options.

City staff recap and definition Josh, identified by the council as the staff presenter, said the change expands an existing rule that already prohibits camping in parks. He said the term "public places" is defined in the draft as government-owned property and that the amendment would allow the city to address similar situations on other publicly owned land that may not be actively patrolled.

Law enforcement and outreach "It is illegal for us to take their stuff," Chief Croyle of the South Salt Lake Police Department said when asked about clearing encampments during code-blue conditions, describing the department's practice of offering notices and using an abatement process for abandoned property. Croyle said abandoned property is tagged and, after a 72-hour notice period, may be collected and removed under the abatement process. He said officers also use a ConEx storage container to hold belongings until owners can retrieve them.

Croyle and other speakers emphasized the department's homeless resource officers (HROs) and described their work as focused on relationship-building and connecting people to shelter and services. "We are proactive and responsive," Croyle said, adding that officers help transport people to partner sites and connect them with The Road Home and the Pamela Atkinson Resource Center when possible.

Council concerns and requests for more information Several council members said they supported stronger tools for cleaning up abandoned property and improving quality of life but worried about using the ordinance to remove people when shelter options are not available.

"This is really hard for me because I would get this if we had an excess of homeless beds, but we don't," one council member said during the discussion, asking whether the city planned to clear the Jordan River Trail and other public corridors. That council member urged caution about enforcement during winter conditions and asked how the city would avoid simply displacing people.

Another council member urged colleagues to do ride-alongs with the HROs to see how officers operate and how outreach and court-based diversion work in practice. Multiple speakers described HROs as having established relationships with people living unsheltered and cited ride-alongs and visits to the men's resource center as ways to better understand department practices.

Code-blue protections and abatement A council member reminded the body that "code blue" was set at 18 degrees and said she had concerns about removing people from their only shelter at 19 degrees. Chief Croyle responded that law enforcement is not authorized to seize or destroy personal property and that the department aims to transport people to available warming sites and partner organizations during extreme cold.

Vote and next steps The council approved the ordinance by roll call. The recorded roll call on the ordinance shows multiple "yes" votes, one "no" vote and two abstentions; one abstention was explained by a councillor who said they wished to complete a ride-along with HROs before casting a vote. The ordinance will be incorporated into the municipal code as Chapter 12.01; staff indicated it is intended to improve the city's ability to abate abandoned property and enforce camping prohibitions across city-owned property.

Community context and resources Speakers referenced partner organizations including The Road Home and the Pamela Atkinson Resource Center. Council members and staff repeatedly recommended additional fact-finding: ride-alongs with HROs, visits to the men's resource center, and better communication about where seized or collected personal property is stored and how owners may retrieve it.

What the ordinance does not say The ordinance text discussed at the meeting does not include a higher "code-blue" temperature threshold, nor does it change state law. Council members asked that staff return with implementation details and clarifications about abatement notice procedures, property storage and shelter placement before broad enforcement actions are taken.

Tapering note Council members asked for more information and individual ride-alongs with HROs before further enforcement; staff and the police department described existing procedures for abatement, transportation and storage of property, and their intention to pair enforcement with outreach.