Pasco council asks staff to review anti‑camping rules, police protocols and fines after federal and state rulings

City staff presented legal context and sought policy direction on enforcing anti‑camping and quality‑of‑life ordinances. Deputy City Manager Risha Sigdell told the council the legal landscape has shifted: "In 2024, US Supreme Court's, grant passed decision, restored city's authority to enforce anti camping ordinances regardless of whether shelter space is available," and staff flagged that a Washington state decision treats vehicles used as residences as homesteads, which limits the city's ability to sell impounded vehicles to recoup costs.

Staff asked for three policy directions: 1) evaluate city ordinances and fee structures for compliance and fiscal impact; 2) direct the police chief to update protocols for engagements with people who are unhoused (including vehicle impound practices); and 3) provide policy goals on specific scenarios (vehicle camping, park camping, encampment cleanups). Council members generally supported the staff recommendations while urging compassion and tiered enforcement (outreach then warnings then citations) and suggested exploring alternative response teams that pair behavioral‑health specialists with officers.

Chief Crowley described the city’s resource navigation capacity for outreach: "We have 2, behavioral health specialists and a resource navigator. They work as a team, and they go out and they help community members..." Council asked staff to inventory fines and impound fee practices, evaluate models used by other municipalities, and consider forming a homelessness/mental‑health task force to coordinate services and enforcement across jurisdictions.

Next steps: staff will inventory fines and impound procedures, propose protocol updates for police interactions with unhoused individuals, and return recommendations that balance legal compliance, fiscal impacts and compassionate outreach.