DeKalb County passes ban on public unauthorized camping

New at 5, DeKalb County commissioners have passed an ordinance that makes it unlawful to camp on public property, like sidewalks. The controversial measure had been debated and deferred for months. This all comes after pushback from the community. Fox 5's Trey Arena is live at the DeKalb County building in Decatur with more. Trey? Eric, this ordinance passed last night in a 5-2 vote. Opponents argue that this measure criminalizes homelessness, while supporters say this helps address public safety concerns while providing an opportunity to give people help. DeKalb County has new rules regarding unauthorized camping in public areas. Commissioners passed this ordinance Tuesday night that makes it unlawful to camp in a manner that interferes with ingress or egress or obstructs public property. District 3 Commissioner Nicole Messiah authored the measure. It actually provides protections for public access ways like Candler Road where just a moment ago there was a woman trying to walk down the sidewalk and had to step into the street to try to get past this right here. The ordinance states no person shall be arrested without first receiving a warning and offered services but have 24 hours to move their belongings. Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry was one of the two votes against the ordinance. We passed this law with no SOPs, with no procedures, and the result will be that more folks are going to be arrested and put into the jail, and right now that is not the place for them to be. Opal and George Thomas were seen sitting on the side of Candler Road on Wednesday with their two dogs and belongings on the sidewalk. It's not easy to get help. It's not. We haven't been able to get any help. The couple says they have lived on the streets for a while and explained it's tough to find shelter. I mean, we just reached out for help and we can't get in. So we just, as you see, we take our belongings around hoping that we can get in. Following our interview, DeKalb County's Community Development Department arrived along with a DeKalb County police officer to offer help. However, service providers like Gregory White say the ordinance is a step in the wrong direction. This hurts poor people, so that's why we were fighting against it. So I didn't see any solutions from the leaders, but I would just say we're looking for solutions. So how do we help people that are actually experiencing this daily? Commissioner Terry says that the CEO of DeKalb County has seven days to veto this legislation and has asked her to do so, but it's not clear what her decision will be. Reporting live in Decatur, Trey Arena, Fox 5 News. All right, Ray, thanks.