A new state law banning public camping takes effect this week, but local officials have not explained how they plan to enforce it.
The law, which takes effect July 1, 2026, requires people found sleeping on public property to move within 48 hours of a police warning. Violators could be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by fines up to $500 or up to 60 days in jail.
Key local enforcement questions — including how citations will be tracked, who will follow up after warnings and how the jail will handle potential new cases — remain unanswered. Neither the Monroe County Sheriff’s office nor the administration of Mayor Kerry Thomson provided details on whether the same deputy or officer who issues the citation has to go back 48 hours later to see whether the person cited has moved — or what happens if that officer is off that day or involved with a more serious call.
“We don’t have a response for you,” Deputy Jeff Brown, the sheriff’s office’s public information officer, said via email.
He said the office is still working with prosecutors, courts and jail officials to develop an enforcement plan.
City officials emphasized outreach efforts but did not detail how officers will track or follow up on violations once the law takes effect.
In a statement, the mayor’s office said only the city “will comply” with the law and, in the meantime, continues coordinating with local service providers to address the city’s sole remaining homeless encampment on city property.
“We will continue working alongside those partners to guide people toward safe housing and vital resources,” the administration said.
The lack of an enforcement plan comes just days before the law takes effect statewide, leaving key logistical questions unresolved.
The law comes as Republican state leaders, who control Indiana government, have clashed repeatedly in recent years with Democratic officials in Monroe County and Bloomington, including over the city’s annexation efforts, the use of food and beverage tax dollars and a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Todd Rokita against the county sheriff over immigration enforcement.
Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Local enforcement plans unclear as Indiana camping ban takes effect
Reporting by Boris Ladwig, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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By Boris Ladwig, The Herald-Times | USA TODAY Network
