Cranston Homeless Encampments Can Be Broken Up With Executive Order

CRANSTON, RI — Cranston police and city officials have been given the authority to break up homeless encampments thanks to a new executive order, according to multiple reports.

Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins said that he passed the executive order to address potential safety concerns over "homeless encampments in close proximity to school facilities," ABC6 reported, citing the order.

Officials will offer social services "in an effort to relocate and provide temporary housing" for those at encampments, but if they do not cooperate, the encampment will be removed and if the person returns it will be considered trespassing, according to the outlet.

Despite pushback, Hopkins insisted that "it's terrible quality of life for the neighbors that live around [the encampment near the police statement,]" according to WPRI.

"And these encampments, especially if they're doing illegal activities like drugs and prostitution, I'm not going to allow it," he added.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island said in a statement Wednesday that they think the order "is cruel, misguided, and ineffective."

"Though it purports to rely on 'contacting social services' before relocating people, the executiv eorder makes no note of how this would work in practice or whether social service agencies are even in a position to provide necessary assistance," the union said, in part.

They added: "We will be examining what actions affected individuals and groups may be able to take to address this extremely troubling overstepping of executive powers and inhumane response to the plight of people experiencing homelessness."