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Police chief says citations are not deterring a small group of service-resistant people
Summary
Astoria's police chief told council that prohibited-camping calls and citations rose significantly year-over-year and that citation-based enforcement has produced little change among a small group of "service-resistant" individuals; chief warned about officer burnout from livability response duties.
Chief Stacy Kelly told the council that the city's citation-based enforcement for camping is producing few results for a small cohort of people who repeatedly refuse services. He presented comparative numbers showing prohibited-camping calls rose from 419 to 521 (a 24% increase) and that camping citations increased from 103 to 200 (a 94% increase) when comparing January'November 2024 with the same period in 2025.
"We issued 200 citations... We've had 0 results in the habitual violators, the service resistant 1," Chief Kelly said, adding that officers and Parks & Rec labor hours have been substantial and that the current approach is taxing staff. He recommended council consider pairing enforcement options with alternatives because "this isn't working" for the small number of individuals generating the bulk of livability calls.
Chief Kelly also described the practical limits of the existing code: enforcement is citation-based and the municipal process limits judicial fines when a person identifies as homeless. He said the department has limited staff assigned to these functions and that sustained engagement by outreach providers is important to achieving different outcomes.
