While cities across Orange County look to ban smoking in public areas, the City of Orange is looking to take a different approach — targeting people who sleep on the streets.

During a meeting last month, Mayor Dan Slater proposed a potential ban on smoking in city parks as part of an effort to address homelessness. 

While no decision has been made yet on whether to impose a ban, the council agreed to send the issue to the park planning commission for further review. It’s expected to return to the council for further discussion at a future meeting.

“I have an ulterior motive for this, quite frankly,” Slater said at the Feb. 10 meeting. “Would this give our police another tool in the toolbox to deal with vagrants and transients?”

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Slater said Orange is one of few cities in the county that don’t have smoking restrictions on parks and open spaces. 

Cities like Laguna Beach and Yorba Linda have already implemented smoking bans to protect their residents’ health and to clean up their parks. While other OC cities have enacted similar smoking restrictions, they haven’t emphasized the unhoused community as reasoning for the ban.

[Read: No Smoking: Orange County Increasingly Bans Tobacco, Vapes in Public]

Slater said his primary concern and the main reason for the proposed ban is the city’s homeless population. He described these people as hanging out all day in the parks, adding that he believes at least 90% are smoking or vaping. 

He said the ban would help the police remove these people from city parks.  

Slater also stated that he discussed the proposal with the police chief, who agreed the ban would benefit the police department.

Police Chief Adam Jevec later addressed the city council and echoed the mayor’s position. 

He said a smoking ban could provide officers with an additional enforcement tool, allowing them to detain individuals and “determine what to do” with members of the homeless population.  

Jevec further added that the ordinance could serve as a “reason to run them and have them removed from the park,” and would “allow us to get out some of the problem people.” 

However, he also raised concerns about the department’s limited resources and questioned the feasibility of consistently enforcing the ban. 

Although the city council agreed to send the issue back to the commission, there were concerns. 

James Kushon, a member of the city’s Park Planning and Community Events Commission, expressed frustration that the discussion was not first presented to the commission. 

“I respectfully request this matter be routed back through our commission for proper public discussion,” Kushon said at the meeting. 

Councilmember Jon Dumitru echoed Kushon’s opinion that the ban should first be reviewed by the park planning commission.

“It should go through that process where we have the park commission start looking at the item first,” Dumitru said.

Dumitru also noted enforcement challenges.

“We don’t have the resources to chase people around who are smoking,” he said.

Dumitru suggested finding a middle ground, such as clearly signed smoking areas put in place, depending on the size of the park.

Councilmember Kathy Tavoularis raised similar concerns about the city’s ability to enforce a smoking ban in local parks and the potential costs.

“We’re already stretched thin, and our police have so much to do with, excuse me for saying this, real crime,” she said. “I just think it’s a cost that we have to be prepared for.”

Councilmember Arianna Barrios agreed, arguing for the implementation of designated smoking areas, saying it empowers residents to resolve conflicts among themselves rather than calling the police.

Some Orange residents also voiced support for smoking bans in public parks at the Feb. 10 meeting. 

Mike Brydges, who has lived in Orange for 40 years, expressed concern about government control. Although he worries that other “freedoms” will be taken away, he ultimately shares the mayor’s motivations and urges the council to look into the ban.

“We do need more designated areas,” Brydges said. “I don’t think smoking at the parks is a problem; I think it’s the homeless.” 

Another resident, Glory Johnson, advocated for the government to step in, citing concerns about the health and safety of those who use public parks.

“Some say this ban may be government overreach, but rather, I think this is what government is meant to do,” Johnson said. “It has the responsibility to protect our people.” 

Johnson also argues that the ban would prevent the litter of cigarette butts, lowering fire risks and improving the quality of Orange parks. 

Other residents expressed similar concerns about safety. 

“When you smoke or vape, everyone around you also smokes or vapes,” resident Reggie Mundekis said.