The City of Longview is considering a stricter approach to camping, drug use and littering in public parks. On Thursday, the city council is expected to vote on a “zero-tolerance” resolution that directs city police to aggressively enforce local laws about unauthorized camping.
“That’s what this is about: equal enforcement, supporting our law enforcement officers in their efforts to do so, and maintaining law and order and safety in our parks,” Longview Mayor Spencer Boudreau said.
Right now, local law enforcement uses an approach officials call the “three Es” — educate, encourage and enforce — when it comes to people camping in public. This strategy calls for officers to give warnings before issuing tickets or making an arrest.
“I personally [think], and have heard from others, that maybe we need to not educate and encourage so much, and focus more on the enforcement,” said Longview City Councilor Erik Halvorson, the author of the new resolution.
He said it’s a response to a group of around 20 people who are chronically homeless but have not accepted support services. Many of them congregate in the city’s R.A. Long Memorial Park, Halvorson said.
According to the city’s municipal code, the penalty for unlawful camping on public property is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and possible jail time.
The Longview Police Department has a six-person behavioral health unit to respond to calls involving people who are homeless. It includes crisis response specialists and an outreach coordinator, according to the city.
Longview Police Chief Robert Huhta said he is awaiting guidance from the City Council about how the department should change its practices, if councilors approve the resolution.
“We’re seeking clarification from council on what they’re wanting for zero-tolerance enforcement,” Huhta said.
A total of 337 people were counted in the 2024 Cowlitz County point-in-time count, an annual survey to record people who are experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness. That data doesn’t show how many people were homeless in Longview, the largest city in Cowlitz County.
Overall, homelessness went up statewide in 2024, according to the Washington State Department of Commerce. Statewide point-in-time counts showed a 5% increase in sheltered homelessness from 2023, and a 26% increase in unsheltered homelessness since 2022.
City officials meet next on June 5.
