Huntington Gives Police More Power Dealing with Squatters

Huntington Police are cracking down on squatters after gaining new legal authority. The Huntington City Council passed an ordinance this week allowing them to arrest squatters in abandoned homes. This comes after a home on 5th Avenue caught fire and investigators found evidence that squatters started it. Before the ordinance passed by the city council, police could only issue citations, but now they can take them straight to jail. Squatters can be jailed for three days and fined $100 for first offenses and spend 30 days in jail and face a $500 fine for subsequent offenses.