Camping on public property in Bristol VA to carry steeper penalties

The punishment for camping on public property and in city parks was officially increased Tuesday night in Bristol, Virginia as the City Council passed an ordinance to amend the current ban on its second and final reading. The ban was initially put into place in 2022, which prohibited camping on public sidewalks and public rights-of-way. The amended ban passed on its first reading on August 13. The second and final reading’s approval Tuesday marked the council’s official adoption of the changes, which go into effect September 26, 30 days from Tuesday. Changes include increasing the punishment confinement in jail for not more than twelve months and a fine of not more than $2,500, either or both whereas the punishment for a Class 4 misdemeanor is a fine up to $250. The amendment also strikes out an exception for those “sleeping in a motor vehicle,” which would effectively ban sleeping in a car on city-owned property.