ANNAPOLIS, MD - A proposed bill in Maryland is drawing debate over its potential impact on communities and the rights of the homeless.
House Bill 487 would grant homeless individuals the right to sleep, eat, drink, and protect themselves from the elements on public property. However, the Talbot County Sheriff's Department is pushing back, arguing that it would restrict law enforcement’s ability to manage public spaces.
A video released by the department outlines what might happen if the bill is passed.
"You could stay at Idlewild Park, you could stay at the courthouse, you could stay at any public place and actually, you could set up your tent on the 50-yard line at Easton High School before a high school football game, claim you're living there, and we won’t be able to move you," Sheriff Joe Gamble said in the video.
Supporters of the bill argue that it protects the rights of homeless individuals who have nowhere else to go. Shanika Manuel, volunteer coordinator at the Christian Shelter in Salisbury, emphasized the reality of homelessness on the Eastern Shore.
"For anyone to see people homeless on the street in tents and things like that is a harsh thing to see, but it’s a reality. Homelessness is not a crime, and people should not be criminalized for that. There is not enough housing in this area on the Shore for everyone. There are not enough shelters," Manuel said.
Sheriff Gamble, however, warned that the bill could create challenges for law enforcement.
"The police would be getting calls about people living in places that they shouldn’t be living, in front of people’s housing, in front of people’s businesses, and we wouldn’t be able to do anything about it," he said.
The debate comes amid a growing homeless crisis in Maryland. A Senate hearing on the measure is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon in Annapolis.