United States Supreme Court Seems Split on Allowing Cities to Regulate Homelessness

The US Supreme Court dove into the high-stakes case on homelessness that originated in Grants Pass with justices struggling to figure out where to draw the line on how far cities can go to regulate how people sleep or camp in public spaces. The Oregonian reports they also asked on Monday if the Supreme Court even needed to intervene in this case since Oregon in 2021 adopted its own state law that allowed for "objectively reasonable" time, place and manner limits on sitting, lying or sleeping outside. During two-and-a-half hours of lively argument, conservative justices questioned why federal judges should weigh into municipal policy decisions. They wondered why those affected by camping ordinances in Grants Pass can't raise the defense in state courts that their individual circumstances left them with nowhere else to sleep once they're fined or charged with a crime in state courts, instead of seeking a broad ban on the city's ordinances. The liberal justices, in turn, hammered the city’s lawyer, who claimed that homelessness isn’t considered a status. Attorney Theane D. Evangelis, representing Grants Pass, argued that the city's laws punished the general conduct of sleeping outside in public places and not the broad condition of being homeless. The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision by the end of June. ...Read more

GP Police Officers & Firefighters Very Active While Protecting the Community Last Week

Grants Pass police officers and firefighters were extremely active last week while protecting the community. According to the Weekly Report filed by Grants Pass City Manager Aaron Cubic, police officers responded to a total of 644 calls for service along with 241 officer-initiated calls last week that resulted in 52 arrests, 41 citations, 69 warnings and 14 highly-intoxicated people being lodged at the Sobering Center. Cubic also reported that officers conducted a total of 84 traffic stops in the city and made 21 referrals to the Oregon Department of Human Services. The GPPD Community Response Team (CRT) contacted a total of 291 potential trouble-makers while arresting two people, citing 26 more and warning 101 others. The CRT unit also trespassed 17 individuals and posted 109 transient camps. Grants Pass Fire & Rescue responded to a total of 113 calls last week including 24 for emergency medical service, four reports of fire or smoke, nine lift assists, four rescue situations, five assists to other agencies and three false alarms. The 9-1-1 Dispatch Center fielded a total of 997 emergency calls. ...Read more

Former GPPD Lieutenant DeKrueger Promoted to Grants Pass Police Captain on Monday

The City of Grants Pass has a new police captain -- former Lieutenant Justin DeKrueger was promoted to Grants Pass Police Captain on Monday. Throughout his career, DeKrueger has exemplified the principal of public service leadership, excelling in every role he has held -- from patrol officer to corporal to sergeant to detective sergeant and both operations and administrative lieutenant. Grants Pass Police Chief Warren Hensman said Captain DeKrueger's unwavering commitment to serving the community with integrity, compassion and a tireless work ethic has made him an invaluable asset to the GPPD team. As Captain, Hensman said they are confident DeKrueger will continue to lead with the same dedication and humility that has characterized his career. He said the entire department is thrilled to support him as he embarks on his new journey, and they look forward to seeing the positive impact he will make in his new role. ...Read more