SPOKANE, Wash. — Spokane Police officers were reminding people camping outside city hall on Friday that they have 24 hours to leave.
City leaders are citing an ordinance that says you can't camp on public property. Notices to remove property from in front of city call was posted Thursday afternoon. On Friday, police were also handing out these flyers listing all the warming shelters that are now open.
Now because of the enforcement of the code regarding camping on public property, people are in fact entitled to request a hearing to appeal the decision to remove property.
City leaders said they have received more than 20 requests for a hearing and they all happened Friday.
Spokane City Communication Director Marlene Feist said each request will be heard by police and code enforcement individually, not as a whole. Possible outcomes of the hearing could include delaying the removal of property or move forward with cleaning up the area.
Feist said those who refuse to pack up and move their belongings could be cited or sent to community court. She said police will enforce this code like any other camp clean up. They'll throw out any trash outside the entrance to city hall and talk with people about services available to them.
Police will keep any valuable items, like the brand-new tents, that are not packed up. Feist said people will have 60 days to collect those items from the police department.
This isn't the first-time people have camped outside city hall like this. Some camped outside protesting when the ban on public camping was first introduced. Even then, the city did the same as they plan to do Saturday.
The 48-hour notice is up Saturday afternoon. The city said there isn't a specific time police will come here to start clean-up, but they will come as staff are available.