The city of Shawnee, Oklahoma is set to fine people for feeding the homeless without a permit starting Nov. 16.
Free food will soon be forbidden from being handed out to homeless people in the city’s downtown area per a new ordinance due to the trash left for locals to pick up, according to KOCO. Feeding events that resulted in an abundance of waste occurred in the past, the city of Shawnee said.
New Shawnee ordinance would fine those giving out free food without permit | Click on the image to read the full story https://t.co/xhiyeKqHle
— koconews (@koconews) November 2, 2023
“There were two and three groups coming into feed or where groups have left and left trash in the downtown area, which then either city staff had to clean up or nearby property owners depending on which way the trash blew,” Shawnee City Manager Andrea Weckmueller-Behringer said.
Giving a single meal is not outlawed under the new ordinance, which only applies to “feeding operations,” the outlet reported. Anyone trying to feed multiple people on the street without a permit may be issued a first offense fine of $250, according to the ordinance. The second offense fine amounts to $500.
“Feeding operations is defined as four or more individuals,” Weckmueller-Behringer said.
Sarah Inselman, a Shawnee homeless shelter worker, believes the new rule is not the correct way to confront the issue.
“I thought, ‘That’s outrageous. That’s a step too far.'” Inselman said. “They’re humans, and they deserve to be treated like humans.”
Weckmueller-Behringer asserted that the city recognizes eating as “a basic requirement.” However, she noted the importance of “coordination purposes so we don’t leave an unsanitary environment” on Shawnee streets.
