In a measure that has spiked arrest numbers, Orlando authorities have been enforcing a new state law targeting homeless individuals by arresting them for camping on public property. The city reported more than a two-fold increase in such arrests within January compared to the last half of the previous year, as stated by ClickOrlando. This heightened enforcement effort comes as Mayor Buddy Dyer highlighted that the city had to respond to a state law enacted last year, which pressures cities to clear encampments shortly after receiving complaints.
Of the 25 individuals arrested in Orlando, 18 were found guilty. Although one case was dropped, the remaining continue navigating the legal system. According to ClickOrlando's report, the law impacts the city, which has the region's densest homeless population, and hands the power to concerned citizens and the attorney general to push for the clearing of encampments. To add, the average cost of incarcerating an individual in Orange County is $144.51 per night, hinting at a financial impact beyond the social aspect of these arrests.
While some of these arrests, like Kathy Wilkins' under the I-4 overpass, stem from individuals declining available resources, the stark reality, per Orlando Weekly, is that the city has not erected a new shelter for the homeless in over a decade, despite the visible increase in the unsheltered population and historic efforts to control rent hikes being thwarted in court.
The crackdown which Orlando police are involved in also sees the pushing away of the homeless population from the downtown areas, contributing to individuals like a mentioned 78-year-old man, shifting away to more remote, perhaps less visible parts of Central Florida, this too was reported by Orlando Weekly. It also reflects the complexity of the issue, as reported by Martha Are, CEO of the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, that numerous displaced people are deterred from seeking help due to their fear of arrest.
