Tougher camping penalties for the homeless have been approved in Northern California's Sutter County.

Law enforcement can now issue a misdemeanor on the first violation, at their discretion. Before, it would only be an infraction for the first offense.

The county said the amended ordinance is on par with neighboring jurisdictions, like Yuba County.

"The other thing is that you have to move your belongings more than a hundred yards away because what we had found in the past is you go and enforce to pick up and move, and they would move it 50 feet away and essentially nothing changed," said Steve Smith, county administrator.

Smith said the goal is to get the unhoused population to accept help from available services.

"Many of these people we know and have known for many years, and we tr

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