Mayor Urges Rome To Take A Harder Line With Vagrants

Rome Mayor Craig McDaniel said the city needs to take a harder line against vagrants, especially in the downtown area.

“I’m of the opinion that we should take a much harder approach,” McDaniel said. “And I think that’s what the City Commission will also say.”

The statement came as McDaniel addressed the Rome-Floyd Joint Services Committee on Tuesday morning. The committee oversees services and agreements shared between Rome and Floyd County.

Saying that he has sympathy with those who are homeless or suffering from mental illness, McDaniel stressed that the city and community leaders have made investments in the downtown area and trail system that need to be protected.

The committee also heard from Rome Police Department Assistant Chief Rodney Bailey, who said police have issued almost 100 citations in the downtown area in the last calendar year to vagrants or homeless people found in violation of various city ordinances.

“We’ve also had approximately 645 phone calls regarding the homeless in the last year,” Bailey said. “And many of these are repeat offenders.”

Rome should look at ordinances in the city, McDaniel said, and suggested that there might be a way to target repeat offenders, or even ban them completely from the city limits.

“Most of these charges are misdemeanors, and then they are released after a few days,” Bailey said. “And soon after that, they go right back to their old haunts.”

Police are doing everything they can do within the law to address the issue, Bailey said.

“We’re aware that the homeless situation in Rome is bad, and obviously not every person belongs in the same bucket,” McDaniel said. “But people deserve the right to feel safe downtown and on our trail system.”

McDaniel and Floyd County Commission Chair Allison Watters also discussed hiring a person to oversee joint city and county efforts regarding the homeless population.