Shafter Bans Sleeping and Camping on City Property; New Law Takes Effect Oct. 1

Council approves a new rule for city property

SHAFTER, Calif. — The Shafter City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday that prohibits sleeping and camping on City-owned public property. 23ABC reported that the measure will take effect October 1 and that the public hearing drew no public or council comment before the action.

The measure adds Chapter 9.48 to the Shafter Municipal Code. In its official hearing notice, the City described the chapter as a way to regulate sleeping in public places while keeping streets, sidewalks, parks and other public areas accessible, sanitary and available for their intended use.

BakersfieldNow reported that the Council approved Ordinance 784 on a 4-0 vote, with Council member Pete Espinoza absent. The final signed ordinance was not included in the materials reviewed for this report, so the City should publish the controlling text promptly.

Read the source: 23ABC: Shafter passes ordinance making sleeping in public places unlawful ↗

What the ordinance is reported to cover

According to 23ABC’s report from the meeting, the ordinance bars camping or sleeping in tents, motorhomes, campers, shelters and outdoors on City property. It identifies places such as parks, sidewalks and City-owned parking lots or structures.

Earlier reporting on the proposal said the defined conduct included placing or occupying camping facilities, temporarily living outdoors or in a camp facility, and using camping paraphernalia. Because that account described the proposal before final adoption, readers should look to the City’s final Chapter 9.48 text for the exact definitions and exceptions that will control on October 1.

The new rule concerns public property under the City’s control. It does not itself answer every question about private property, county property, state transportation land or the duties of other agencies. Those distinctions matter when residents report a concern or when someone is seeking help.

Read the source: BakersfieldNow: 4-0 vote and graduated enforcement details ↗

A prevention tool—or a policy that can just move people?

Shafter Chief Building Official Dennis Fidler told 23ABC that the City wants a framework in place before a larger encampment problem develops, pointing to concerns such as trash, litter, human waste and needles. Council member Cathy Prout separately told BakersfieldNow that homelessness is currently a small issue in Shafter and that the city has no facility for people experiencing homelessness.

Jim Wheeler, executive director of Flood Ministries, told the station that enforcement should be paired with services rather than used simply to displace people. His point is practical: without a realistic place to go or a way to connect with help, a person removed from one location can be pushed to another location instead of stabilized.

23ABC reported that the Bakersfield-Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative counted five unhoused people in Shafter in 2025. A point-in-time count is a limited snapshot, not a complete census, but it underscores why City leaders should explain how the law will work for the people it is most likely to affect.

Read the source: City of Shafter: September 1 public-hearing notice for proposed Chapter 9.48 ↗

Police describe warnings, citations and possible arrest

Shafter police told BakersfieldNow that a first encounter would begin with a verbal warning, education about the rules and information about available resources. A repeat encounter could result in a citation and release at the scene, while a third contact could lead to an arrest if appropriate.

That outline answers an important question left open in the first reports, but it is not a complete written enforcement policy. The City should still explain which offense could support an arrest, what discretion officers will use, how personal belongings will be handled and what review or appeal procedures apply.

The City should also identify the outreach partners, shelter or housing referral pathways, transportation options and behavioral-health services available when an encounter involves someone living outside. Because Shafter says it has no homeless facility, a resource handout alone does not answer where a person can safely go.

A public-space rule can address specific conditions without resolving the underlying shortage of affordable housing, shelter access or care. Publishing the full implementation plan is therefore part of public accountability, not an argument against maintaining shared public spaces.

Read the source: City of Shafter: September 1 City Council meeting video ↗

About the photograph

The lead image is an authentic photograph of a fountain in downtown Shafter by Brittneal, released through Wikimedia Commons under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. It is a location photograph and does not show the September 1 Council meeting, an encampment or anyone affected by the ordinance.

What’s the Scoop With Broach did not republish the television station’s copyrighted meeting imagery. The source link and image credit are included so readers can review the original photograph and its license.

Read the source: KGET 17: Earlier report on the proposed Chapter 9.48 language ↗