New Legal Settlement Allows OC To Immediately Arrest Homeless In Certain Areas

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SANTA ANA (CBSLA) — Orange County can now immediately arrest homeless people in certain places, including John Wayne Airport, flood control channels and high-risk wilderness areas.

The new policy is the result of two federal lawsuits settled by the Orange County Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

The lawsuits were filed last year to halt a move to clear out hundreds of people who were camped out on a riverbed near Angel Stadium.

Under the new arrangement, Orange County can create two zones to enforce nuisance laws: one in which transients can be immediately arrested and another that requires law enforcement to first try to send social workers to help get them into shelters. If the homeless refuse those services though, they could be taken to jail.