Bartlesville city council to discuss potential fines for homeless individuals

The Bartlesville city council will discuss a proposal that involves fining homeless people. The idea comes from a task force set up to find solutions to the city's homelessness issue.

Bartlesville Unsheltered Homeless Task Force

Aaron Kirkpatrick is a Bartlesville city council member and is also the chair of a task force in the city that works with homeless people day in and day out. He says one of the things that the team has been working on is updating some of their ordinances, trying to find best practices to address and improve homelessness in the community.

Homeless Fine Proposal

On Monday's city council meeting, members of the task force presented options for addressing homelessness to the council to review for possible action at a later date. One of those options is an ordinance that would allow the city to fine homeless people, without a permanent residence, who have repeat infractions, costing up to $500. 

 "When we talk about repeat infractions, that’s what we’re talking about - somebody who has been offered services and just keeps coming back and breaking the rules," said Kirkpatrick. 

Helpful... Not Punitive 

Kirkpatrick says fines would only apply in cases where the person violates rules repeatedly or doesn’t cooperate.

He says the task force is not interested in punishing those experiencing homelessness but is instead trying to steer them towards help through services the city offers.

"Our desire is to create a highway out of homelessness where anybody who is experiencing homelessness in Bartlesville gets connected to all the services they need as rapidly as possible,” he said.