Ige camp seeks to criminalize trespassing on all state lands
Gov. David Ige’s administration wants to make it a crime to trespass on all state lands, but homeless advocates worry that could give homeless people a criminal record by expanding the areas that are off-limits to set up camp.
A bill in the Legislature would apply criminal trespassing laws evenly across state lands, said Josh Wisch, spokesman for Attorney General Douglas Chin, who’s pushing the bill.
Honolulu already has a law banning sitting and lying down on sidewalks, and critics see the state bill as a way to expand that type of law to state properties.
“There is a trend across the country to criminalize homelessness,” said Maria Foscarinis, founder and executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. “It’s part of a very misguided and harmful effort to respond to visible poverty, through criminalization.”
Right now criminal-trespass laws don’t apply to improved state lands — meaning land that’s built or improved in some way — and it’s unclear whether Hawaii’s trespassing laws apply to state land under freeways or in boat harbors, Wisch said.
Officials are trying to combat problems like copper theft and arson, and the proposed trespassing law would apply to everyone, not just homeless people, Wisch said. Before someone is arrested for trespassing, the state follows federal case law, which requires that the state would have to confirm that there’s a shelter vacancy and would have to ask the person to leave, he added.
“The state can’t just target homeless people and arrest them,” Wisch said.
But Mandy Finlay of the ACLU of Hawaii was worried that the bill would disproportionately affect homeless people, many of whom live in harbors or under freeways. Hundreds of people are living on state land near a boat harbor in Waianae.
“On any given night there’s going to be at least one or two thousand unsheltered individuals, and only a couple of hundred available shelter beds,” Finlay said. “So until there’s sufficient housing for homeless individuals and families, we should not be expanding criminal trespass law to target homelessness.”
The Department of Land and Natural Resources supported the bill, saying it would allow immediate removal of offenders trespassing or conducting illegal activities on state land. Many of the state’s small boat harbors, trails and forest reserves are used for illegal activities such as unpermitted camping, illegal alcohol consumption and disorderly conduct, said Suzanne Case, chairwoman of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, in testimony supporting the bill. That trespassing can kill native wildlife, she said.
The Department of Transportation also supports the bill because it’s been having a tremendous problem with copper theft on state land, Wisch said.
9 responses to “Ige camp seeks to criminalize trespassing on all state lands”
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Hey Hawaii, can we stop electing morons already?
Ask the teachers union
Trespass is a very broad term and should be well defined. I someone is causing damage then cite them for the damage but the state owns too much land to have a general trespass applied. There may well be unintended consequences where the general public will be denied recreational access that will amount to a take away.
As usual Ige hasn’t got a clue what to do. Nothing unusual here. Just pass a shibai law making something illegal and move on. Really?
We need to criminalize utterly incompetent elected bureaucrats who refuse to do their jobs after election. Can’t make a decision, can’t do the hard work of budget management, keep kicking the can down the road. Fail, you will be arrested, prosecuted for pretending to be a competent elected official, locked up for at least a year.
See how easy this is Ige? For once do your job. Quit flip flopping, waffling. Make a decision.
It doesnt matter the city has to force HPD to set up the Homeless Task Force for the sole purpose of enforcement.
There has to be a way to get the homeless off stateland, so this law is necessary..
“On any given night there’s going to be at least one or two thousand unsheltered individuals, and only a couple of hundred available shelter beds,” Finlay said.
If there’s a couple of hundred AVAILABLE shelter beds and up to two thousand unsheltered individuals, shouldn’t there be NO AVAILABLE BEDS if they truly wanted to use the shelter beds?
No more tailgating at the stadium?
I can see the state’s dilemma. I’ve seen cases where the state’s hands are tied because of inadequate authorities. They should have consistent rules about usage and trespassing on state lands. Trespassing should be clearly defined and should not make instant criminals out of the homeless or recreational users of state land. At the same time, the state needs ways of catching and prosecuting trespassers who conduct criminal activity on state lands, improved or not. Whatever passes must be enforceable too, otherwise, there’s no point in having the rule.