Monroe County sheriff says deputies will enforce Indiana law criminalizing sleeping on public property

It will be against the law to sleep in public places starting July 1, 2026.

Staff report

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — March 6, 2026

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office says it will enforce Indiana’s new law banning camping and sleeping on public property when it takes effect July 1, even as critics have denounced the measure as a criminalization of homelessness.

In a statement dated March 6, the sheriff’s office said it is aware of the new state law and will comply with it.

“The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is aware of the new state law, effective July 1, addressing public camping on government property,” the statement said. “Our office will comply with the statute as required while continuing to approach these situations with professionalism, compassion and respect for everyone involved.” Senate Bill 285

The statement makes clear that Monroe County deputies will now be expected to respond under state law to unhoused people sleeping on public land.

Gov. Mike Braun signed Senate Enrolled Act 285 into law Thursday. In coverage published by the Indiana Capital Chronicle, critics described the bill as a “criminalization of homelessness,” while supporters called it a “compassionate” way to connect people with services.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said deputies will still try to connect people with help when possible.

“Our deputies are trained to prioritize safety, connect individuals with available resources when possible and handle these encounters in a humane manner,” the statement said. “We will continue working with community partners and service providers to ensure that individuals experiencing homelessness are treated with dignity while maintaining public safety and following state law.” Senate Bill 285

The office said public safety remains its top priority as deputies prepare to enforce the new statute.

“As always, our goal is to follow the law in a way that allows us to continue serving the community effectively while carrying out our duties as we always have, with public safety as our top priority,” the statement said. Senate Bill 285

The new law is set to take effect July 1.

The Bloomingtonian has not received information on how the Bloomington mayor’s office or Bloomington Police Department plan to respond to unhoused people sleeping on public property inside city limits. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office primarily has jurisdiction in unincorporated areas of the county, outside Bloomington.

Any legal challenge to the new Indiana law would face long odds at the current U.S. Supreme Court. In City of Grants Pass v. Johnson, decided June 28, 2024, the court ruled 6-3 that enforcing public camping and sleeping bans against unhoused people does not, by itself, violate the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment. That precedent makes a broad constitutional challenge to Indiana’s new law less likely to succeed, though narrower lawsuits tied to disability access, due process, or the way the law is enforced could still be possible.

If protests broke out over police arresting unhoused people under Indiana’s new public-sleeping law, Gov. Mike Braun appears to have authority under separate legislation to activate the Indiana National Guard’s new military police force and authorize it to exercise police powers in all or part of the state. Once activated, that force can make arrests, conduct searches and seizures, carry firearms and enforce Indiana law. The statute does not specifically say the force can be deployed simply because people are protesting homelessness arrests, but it gives the governor broad power to send it into a jurisdiction, making any such move a likely political and legal flashpoint.

The post Monroe County sheriff says deputies will enforce Indiana law criminalizing sleeping on public property first appeared on The Bloomingtonian.