Bristol Virginia one step closer to increasing penalties for camping on city property

The Bristol, Virginia City Council has introduced a proposal to amend the current camping ban on public sidewalks in the city, upgrading the misdemeanor class and including public parks in the ban. The council passed on first reading an ordinance to amend the current ban on camping on public rights-of-way. That ban was first adopted in 2022, where it made camping on city sidewalks, alleys and streets a Class 4 misdemeanor, punishable by a fine up to $250. The new proposed amendment to the ban would upgrade the charge for camping on city-owned property from a Class 4 to a Class 1 misdemeanor and that could mean being jailed for up to a year and a fine of up to $2,500, either or both. 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. The amended ordinance will still need approval on a second reading with the next Bristol, Virginia City Council meeting taking place Aug. 27 at 6 p.m.