As we reported back in July, BART recently began cracking down on the homeless situation in Powell Station. In particular they're citing, and rousting, people trying to sleep in the station's long hallways, under the auspices of keeping the station "safe" and the halls clear in case of fire. A group of homeless advocates took to the station to protest the crackdown on Saturday morning, but as the Chron reports, "The sleep-in put on by the city’s Coalition on Homelessness went largely unnoticed by passengers streaming by."
Advocates say it's unfair to bother people who are just trying to get some rest while sheltered from the elements, especially at a time when the city's shelters are at capacity. But the Chron talks to one homeless man who says "It got to be too many of us down here," and suggests the crackdown was inevitable.
BART police maintain that they are merely enforcing a longstanding code against "obstructions" in BART stations.
First-time offenders are just told to sit up and look alert, and their names are taken down. Second offenses come with a citation but no fine, and third-timers can face arrest.
While a number of homeless people have gotten the citation, only a few have reportedly spent time in custody, and no one has been prosecuted thus far.