ORLANDO, Fla. – On Monday, the City of Orlando passed an ordinance 6-1 preventing people from blocking streets.
During the council meeting, city staff cited issues on typical Friday and Saturday nights after bars closed downtown, which is when people gather on the sidewalks.
Kevin Lichenburg said he’s homeless and feels the ordinance will profile him.
“If I take a couple things off, this blanket, this bag and this fishing rod, I basically have a lunch bag and a lunch pail. I’m every business person going into these office buildings and these financial districts at work every day,” Lichenburg said. “The biggest misconception is that we’ve given up on life and there’s homeless people out here living off of everybody. No, I work. I remodeled houses. My only crime right now is having bad credit.”
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A representative from the Homeless Services Network told the commissioners to consider a revision to the draft before it was passed.
Commissioners in favor of the ordinance emphasized the law pertains to deliberate actions with the intent to disrupt, and not a target profiled approach.
Here is the exact wording of the newly passed ordinance:
Section 43.06. Disorderly Conduct.
Commission of the following acts shall constitute disorderly conduct
(i) Any person who, walks, stands, sits, lies, or places an object in such manner as to intentionally block passage by another person or to require another person to take evasive action to avoid physical contact, or who, after being ordered to move by law enforcement officers, remains in or on any public street or sidewalk in such a manner as to block or impair movement of vehicles or pedestrians.
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