San Francisco will enforce penalties to clear homeless encampments as Los Angeles pushes back on governor’s order

As the city of San Francisco prepares to fall in line with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order to clear homeless encampments in the state, Los Angeles is pushing back, refusing to allow its jails to be used to hold those removed from encampments.

As the city of San Francisco prepares to fall in line with California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s executive order to clear homeless encampments, Los Angeles is pushing back, refusing to allow its jails to be used to hold those removed from encampments. Newsom, the Democratic governor of the state with the nation’s largest homeless population, issued a directive last week ordering state officials to begin dismantling encampments on state property and encouraging local governments to adopt policies consistent with the state’s. His order followed a US Supreme Court decision that upheld an Oregon city’s homeless policy. In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed will proceed with her administration’s plans to implement “progressive penalties,” or more aggressive enforcement, on homeless encampments, her office said in a news release – a move that had been put on hold by an appeals court awaiting the US Supreme Court decision. “Warnings will be followed by citations,” the release said. “In some cases, citations could be followed by escalating penalties, including arrest. The goal is not punishment, it is compliance.” But officials in Los Angeles have made clear they won’t be heeding the governor’s encouragement to follow suit. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday in support of a motion affirming its jails won’t be used to hold homeless people arrested when encampments are broken up, The Los Angeles Times reported. County officials have said the approach is already in effect.