Berkeley business-owners are taking city rot and lawlessness into their own hands

Berkeley, Calif., once a bastion of liberal idealism, currently mirrors the lawlessness of the Wild West.Its streets resemble an open-air drug den, overrun by homeless encampments.

Tents block streets and parking, making sidewalks impassable for pedestrians with disabilities.Human waste, syringes and hazardous materials spill directly on private property and in waterways, polluting them.

Open-air fires in the middle of public thoroughfares offer scenes more reminiscent of the Great Depression than the prosperous, innovative community associated with the Berkeley name.This June, the US Supreme Court decided Grants Pass v.Johnson, a ruling that empowers local governments to enforce camping bans in public places, even if there are no alternative spaces available for campers. Since the decision, many elected officials have been slow to use their newfound authority to clear street encampments.Years ago, Berkeley City Hall decided that it would handcuff its police force, restricting officers from enforcing laws like those against public nuisances that are designed to protect the health and safety of those living and working in the area.

Streets today are so unsafe that city staff often refuse to deal in-person with the issues created by these policies, one city representative going so far as to suggest this author carry a gun.  Nearly 500 days ago, the Berkeley City Council gathered to receive feedback from the community. Only half of the council bothered to visit the adjacent encampment before hustling inside.After innumerable emails, calls, public meetings, photos and pleas for help from hundreds of Berkeley stakeholders, the council failed to authorize city workers to clear tents and RVs.

Despite eventually claiming they were waiting for the Supreme Court to decide Grants Pass before acting, some of Berkeley’s leaders immediately rebuked the decision and stressed the need to maintain the status quo.Ironically, the property that hosted that first community...