MILLVILLE, Del.- A new ordinance penalizes people for loitering, sleeping in public or trespassing.
Mayor Ronald Belinko said it's to deter people from vandalism. In the past, Evans Park has dealt with several instances of vandalism to playground equipment and bathrooms.
"We've had some incidents that we wanted to be on top of and we are doing something to keep it a safe place," He said
Some people said the ordinance is a target for homeless people who have no where else to go. While there are no known homeless encampments in Millville, surrounding towns, including Milford and Georgetown, have struggled with homelessness.
"I would hope they had a backup plan in place for those people. I couldn't tell you in this area where there is a homeless shelter," Kimberly Neff said.
A similar ordinance in Dover drew national attention from the American Civil Liberties Union. In a statement, the ACLU said, "It's an obvious attempt to prevent the unhoused and people-in-need from being seen, but is also a blatant attack on the rights of all people."
However, the mayor said the ordinance isn't intended to single anyone out.
"We are not out here to arrest anyone. We are out here to keep this a beautiful place," he said.
If found guilty, fines can be imposed between $90 and $150.