3 days ago
Stricter loitering laws move forward in Pueblo
(PUEBLO, Colo.) — City leaders in Pueblo are moving forward with another attempt to try and address homelessness in the city. In a six-to-one vote on Monday, June 9, Pueblo City Council approved an ordinance that adds lying down into the city's definition of loitering.
'It also further defines how loitering, what loitering looks like and how will be defined,' said Harley Gifford, a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Pueblo.
Another of the changes means people caught breaking the rules cannot say there was no sign banning loitering as a defense. No one spoke out in favor of the resolution on Monday evening, but two people who made public comment spoke against the changes.
'This amendment, again, is going to target the homeless people here in Pueblo, Colorado,' said one community member. 'It's not fair to people who don't have a place to stay, to not be able to be anywhere.'
Councilmember Joe Latino introduced the measure to the council. Latino also introduced a no sit-lie ordinance earlier this year. While the original measure moved forward in March, the council later voted it down in a five-to-two vote in April. The latest change will also bring about a harsher punishment when it comes to loitering.
'It's [loitering] going to go to a class one municipal offense, which is a $1,000 fine and up to 364 days in jail,' Gifford said.
Those who spoke out against the ordinance add the city's recently-created commission on homelessness needs time to get its legs under it in order to find solutions.
'If we just give the commission time to do its work, working on the one problem that we're concentrating on, homelessness, and leave all these stupid laws for another city to punish people, I think we can really make some good progress,' a community member said.
Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham would have to sign this before it officially becomes law. If it does move forward, it would go into effect 30 days after the mayor's approval.
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