Setting up a tent or rolling out a sleeping bag in a Jonesboro park just became a lot riskier. The Jonesboro City Council voted 10-0 on Nov. 5 to restrict overnight camping in city parks and city-owned parking lots to designated areas only, with violators facing removal and fines starting at $100.
The new rule, formally known as Ordinance 26-038, treats pitching a tent or other shelter, or laying out a sleeping bag or other bedding, as camping whenever it appears intended for an overnight stay, according to NEA Report. The ordinance adds Section 50-27 to the city code, and it cites the city's interest in keeping parks and parking lots clean and safe, noting that camping outside designated areas can interfere with others' use of the parks, per the outlet. As K8 News reported on Nov. 9, the measure specifically covers putting up tents or shelters and using sleeping bags or bedding for overnight stays.
Police and code enforcement officers may remove people who violate the rule along with their belongings from a restricted area, the NEA Report account states. A first violation can carry a fine of at least $100, though the city may grant permission to camp in restricted areas during special events, the same report notes.
Where Camping Is Still Allowed
Craighead Forest Park has a designated campground that offers year-round camping, including five lakeside tent sites, a primitive camping area and 36 RV sites, according to the NEA Report account. The City of Jonesboro's own legislative record describes the measure as adding park rules meant to prevent camping outside designated camping locations within city parks and city parking lots, per the City of Jonesboro's Legistar filing.
What the ordinance does not spell out, at least in the available record, is exactly which locations beyond the Craighead Forest Park campground qualify as designated camping areas, or how that designation gets made. It is also unclear from the public record when the ordinance takes effect or how often the new restriction will actually be enforced.
Shelter Beds Remain Scarce, Especially for Women
The timing puts new pressure on an already thin local shelter system. The Jonesboro Salvation Army currently operates an emergency shelter that houses only men, with 16 beds available, John Phil Winter told K8 News. Winter described the shelter as low-barrier emergency accommodation for homeless people simply needing a bed, banning alcohol, drugs, pornography and weapons, and generally limiting stays to two weeks — though stays may be extended for people looking for work or an apartment, or actively working to move forward, per the station's report.
Winter said the Salvation Army has not been able to house women and children because of money problems, according to the same K8 News account. That gap echoes an earlier snapshot of the city's homelessness crisis: in an April 2024 report, a resident of an encampment near Cate Avenue told Jonesboro Right Now that about eight people lived there at the time, with the population sometimes swelling to more than 30. At that time, the Salvation Army's captain, Charles Smith, said the shelter had 12 beds for men, four for women and one for a couple, the outlet reported.
Statewide, Arkansas reported 2,609 homeless people in a 2023 Point-in-Time count, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, as cited by Jonesboro Right Now. The Salvation Army reported providing 4,093 shelter-night stays and serving 31,114 meals in 2023, the outlet's report said. Community donations help keep those services running, Winter said, adding that the Salvation Army raises money through its annual Red Kettle Campaign, set to begin Nov. 13, and he said community donations stay in the community.
Holiday Programs Launch as Camping Rule Takes Hold
Alongside the Red Kettle effort, the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program begins Nov. 12 and aims to help ensure children receive Christmas gifts, according to K8 News. Angel Tree trees will be located at Walmart, Kroger and other locations, with gifts able to be returned to 800 Kate Ave., the station reported.
How Other Cities Have Handled Similar Bans
Jonesboro's move follows a pattern seen elsewhere this year. In Georgia, DeKalb County's Board of Commissioners voted 5-2 on Oct. 27 to approve an ordinance banning camping and certain related activities in public areas, according to Atlanta News First. County officials there built in a 120-day pause before enforcement, saying it would give the county and nonprofit organizations time to prepare, the station reported. DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said she does not expect the ordinance to result in more arrests, telling the outlet, “We do not expect that the ordinance will result in more arrests. What we expect is that the ordinance will mandate consultation.”
In Illinois, Carbondale put its own public camping ban on city-owned property into effect after the City Council approved it in August, according to KFVS12. Enforcement there can include fines or community service as an alternative for people who cannot afford to pay, the station reported. Jonesboro has also previously explored other approaches to homelessness: St. Bernards launched a recuperative-care program that gave people experiencing homelessness a place to stay for 90 days after hospital discharge, K8 News reported in 2024.
