Charleston City Council approves business trespassing enforcement bill

The Charleston City Council has approved a new bill establishing a voluntary public safety program designed to assist local businesses with trespassing enforcement. Under the program, business owners can designate the Charleston Police Department as their agent to eject individuals from their property during specific times when the owners are not present.

Introduced by Councilmember Chad Robinson, the legislation was refined during the committee process to apply exclusively to businesses rather than residential or rental properties. City Attorney Joe Baldwin noted that the program is intended to “fill the gap” for landowners who lack the lawful authority to eject individuals during certain nighttime hours.

In a separate matter, the council unanimously passed a bill to rezone several parcels of land on the city’s West Side from residential to commercial. The move, which involves combining six parcels owned by a single individual, drew concerns from some council members regarding its potential impact on housing security in a high-density, low-income area.