Four homeless residents encamped near San Jose’s the Guadalupe River said police regularly patrol the area and give out tickets for trespassing and littering.
San Jose Spotlight reported the behavior has those helping the unhoused residents wondering if the information is being logged or used as a scare tactic on an already vulnerable population.
Santa Clara County Deputy Public Defender Jake Rhodes, who makes regular trips to homeless encampments, said the citations he's seen tend to be handwritten, and he's seen more than 20 over the past few years for violations like trespassing.
A San Jose Police Department spokesperson said SJPD officers are required to issue electronic citations.
They acknowledged there are certain instances where paper citations may be given out, such as when the machine fails. A copy is given to the individual and the original is filed away at the records unit.
