Burien council repeals trespass ordinance

The Burien City Council Monday voted to repeal a controversial trespass ordinance.

The ordinance was hotly contested and has been amended several times since its passage in 2014 because many said it unfairly targeted the homeless.

Business owners and residents begged the Burien City Council during Monday's standing-room-only meeting not to repeal the trespass ordinance.

Scroll down to continue reading

More news from KIRO 7

• 2 die in surf while digging for clams on Washington beaches
• Father and daughter charged with incest 20 years after adoption
• Scammers stealing phone numbers from T-Mobile customers to steal money
• Son charged with killing elderly father kept the shell casing in pocket as 'keepsake'
• Video shows Federal Way teacher shoving student

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP

They cited crime, safety, and de-criminalizing homelessness; police say the trespass ordinance resulted in conversations with those causing a disturbance in public places rather than arrests.

“It’s merely a trespass warning that asks you to leave the area for a certain period of time,” one resident told the council.

The ordinance has been amended numerous times -- it once allowed for people with an offensive smell to be issued a trespass warning.

Many said then it targeted the homeless. On Monday, some said its subjectivity could make anyone a target.

“It leaves rooms for discretion of officers which means there could be discrimination against people,” one resident said.

Council member Pedro Olguin—one of the newest   council members and the one who proposed the repeal—steadfastly agreed.

“We have so many rules in place and I think there’s a question of probable cause,” he told the other council members and citizens in attendance.

Council member Lucy Krakowiak staunchly disagreed.

“It’s actually very supportive of helping people change their behavior without burdening them with a citation,” Krakowiak said.

But ultimately the trespass ordinance was repealed with the intention of putting something else in place.

Council amended the ordinance to allow 60 days for the repeal to take effect in which time they may plan to draft a new ordinance.

Even without the ordinance, police can still issue trespass warnings for people on public property and in some cases arrest them.

The repeal just makes that more difficult to do.

The repeal applies only to public property. Business and home owners can still contact police with concerns about trespassing, and if officers deem it appropriate they can issue citations.

Cox Media Group