$2,500 Fine for Dropping Off Homeless People in Fort Wayne
FORT WAYNE, Ind — Dropping off a homeless person in Fort Wayne without a clear plan for shelter or services could now lead to a $2,500 fine under a newly approved city ordinance, a measure officials say is aimed at easing pressure on limited local resources.
City leaders discussed the policy during a council meeting this week, citing concerns about people being transported into Fort Wayne and left without support.
Andy Downs Fort Wayne Director of Intergovernmental Affairs said the ordinance was modeled after a similar law in Joplin, Missouri, and is intended to prevent individuals from being dropped off without arrangements for care.
“It basically says you are prohibited from bringing a homeless person from another community to Fort Wayne and dropping them off without some clear plan for fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence,” Downs said.
He added that enforcement could rely in part on surveillance footage or statements from those left behind.
“If someone’s dropped off at a gas station, a lot of gas stations have cameras,” Downs said. “It might be possible to find evidence that way. If the person who was dropped off tells police, ‘I don’t know why I’m here — they dropped me here,’ that’s how investigators could begin looking into it.”
Officials said the ordinance is not meant to punish people experiencing homelessness.
Councilman Geoff Paddock said those individuals will continue to be treated as anyone else seeking help.
“We don’t want to blame the poor,” Paddock said. “If someone is dropped off, they’re not going to be punished. They’re going to be treated like anyone else trying to access shelter or services.”
Paddock added the city is facing increased demand for assistance, though not yet at crisis levels.
“We have a situation where it’s not quite a crisis, but the need is greater than we initially thought,” he said. “This is a step in the right direction to try to limit those drop-offs because our services are limited.”
City officials say the ordinance is designed to ensure people brought into Fort Wayne have a destination and access to care, rather than being left without support.
