Las Vegas NowLas Vegas Homeless Advocates Test New City Ordinance
(12 p.m.) -- A Las Vegas DJ who was planning to feed the homeless at a downtown park was threatened with arrest early Monday morning.
The park was across the street from Las Vegas City Hall.
A number of homeless advocates gathered at the park to test a new city ordinance that provides for a $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail for feeding the homeless in city parks.
Among those on hand this morning was homeless advocate John Cook. He calls the ordinance a step in the wrong direction.
"That's a shame. That's a horrible, horrible thing we're doing and I'm gonna be here. I'll be out here giving sandwiches and so will my wife and we'll be doing that as long as I have breath in me," Cook said.
The new ordinance took affect last week.
City leaders say it was put in place to keep the parks safe and to discourage homeless people from congregating in neighborhoods where there are no services to help them.
(10 a.m.) -- City marshals rounded up homeless people at a downtown Las Vegas park and issued summonses to a TV news crew during a crackdown minutes before a protest against a ban on "mobile soup kitchens."
KLAS-TV reporter Kyla Grogan reports that homeless people were ushered out of the park next to Las Vegas City Hall, and that she and photojournalist were issued citations for being in the park before it officially opened at 7 a.m.
The sweep appeared to coincide with a Las Vegas radio station's plan to provide meals to people in the park -- in violation of a recently passed city law.
City officials say the ordinance aims to discourage large groups of homeless people from making it uncomfortable for other people to use the parks.
Officials say they want the homeless to take advantage of services such as mental health evaluations and job placement.
Homeless advocates and civil libertarians say the crackdown's clearly unconstitutional.
The law against feeding the homeless carries a thousand-dollar fine and up to six months in jail.
(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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The city of Las Vegas ordinance that makes it illegal to feed the homeless in city parks took effect Friday, July 28. Opponents say it is unconstitutional and are planning to challenge it in court. What do you think? More>>
The city of Las Vegas has now made it illegal to feed the homeless in city parks. The new ordinance was designed to get the homeless involved with organized services. More>>
A local organization is challenging a Las Vegas city ordinance in federal court. The lawsuit stems from an incident when two women were given citations for feeding a large group of homeless people in a city park. More>>
