Florida Attorney General Flags Winter Haven Over Public Sleeping Complaints — Social Media Amplifies Debate

The office of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has issued a formal warning to the city of Winter Haven regarding how local officials are responding to complaints involving public sleeping and homelessness, a dispute that has fueled online debate and renewed scrutiny of how municipalities enforce state law.

The warning was first shared publicly through the Attorney General’s official social media channels, where state officials emphasized that cities are required to comply with Florida’s public camping statute, which governs how local governments handle complaints involving public sleeping in parks and other shared spaces. The issue highlights growing tension between state mandates, local enforcement practices, and community concerns surrounding homelessness.

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Official Notice Sparks Online Reaction

News coverage of the Attorney General’s notice quickly circulated on social media, where media organizations shared details of the alleged noncompliance and linked to official documentation.

Independent reporting by Fox 13 News confirmed the existence and content of the notice, citing documentation released by the Attorney General’s Office. According to that reporting, the state argues Winter Haven may not be fully enforcing Florida’s public camping law when responding to complaints related to public sleeping.
https://www.fox13news.com/news/florida-attorney-general-sends-violation-notice-winter-haven-over-homeless-public-sleeping-complaints

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City Responds to Allegations

City officials have publicly disputed the claim of noncompliance, stating that current practices reflect a balance between legal obligations, public safety, and limited municipal resources rather than negligence.

Reporting from Bay News 9 further confirms that city leadership has reiterated homelessness itself is not a crime and that Winter Haven continues to respond to complaints based on available staffing, ordinances, and service capacity rather than blanket enforcement.
https://www.baynews9.com/fl/tampa/news/2026/01/12/winter-haven-responds-to-ag-s-claims-over-public-camping-law-violations

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Public and Community Response

The issue has expanded beyond official channels into broader community discussion, with residents, advocates and media outlets using social platforms to debate enforcement, civil rights and public policy.

Advocates commenting on the issue have expressed concern that aggressive enforcement of public sleeping laws may criminalize poverty rather than address underlying causes. Other community members have questioned whether state expectations sufficiently account for the limited housing and social service infrastructure available to local governments.

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Verification of Social Media Sources

The social media posts embedded in this story were not treated as factual evidence on their own. Each was independently verified through additional reporting and documentation.

• The Facebook posts originate from verified accounts of FOX 13 Tampa Bay and WFLA News Channel 8, recognized local news organizations.

• Claims referenced in social posts were corroborated through published reporting from Fox 13 News and Bay News 9.

• Legal context was verified using Florida statutory language and official documentation.

• The Instagram post was confirmed to originate from the official, verified account of the Florida Attorney General’s Office and was cross-checked against official statements.

This approach reflects standard journalistic practice: social media content functions as a starting point for reporting, not as standalone confirmation.

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Broader Context: Homelessness in Florida

The enforcement dispute comes as homelessness continues to affect communities statewide. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s annual Point-in-Time Count, more than 30,000 people in Florida experienced homelessness on a single night in the most recent survey.

The data underscores the broader policy challenge facing cities across Florida: complying with state enforcement laws while navigating limited housing availability, public service capacity, and community impact.

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Why It Matters

The conflict between state enforcement expectations and local implementation in Winter Haven reflects a larger statewide and national debate. Social media platforms have accelerated how quickly these disputes become public, but they also increase the risk of misinformation without careful verification.

This case illustrates the evolving role of journalists: verifying claims, providing context, and ensuring public conversations driven by social media are grounded in confirmed information rather than speculation.

Trapped Without Shelter: How Brevard County Profits from the Pain of the Poor

Introduction: When Survival Is a Crime

You’re arrested for sleeping. Booked for existing. Fined for having nowhere to go.

I know—because I lived it.

In Brevard County, Florida, especially here in Melbourne, homelessness is not treated as a crisis to solve. It's treated as a nuisance to erase. Police target the poor, not to protect the community—but to sanitize the city for profit. And it’s working... for them.

But it’s destroying lives like mine. Like yours. Like the voiceless ones no one hears from because they’re locked up, shipped out, or buried under bureaucracy.

This is what they don’t want you to see.

The Cost of Being Homeless in Brevard County

"The Price of Poverty"

“Stripped, Starved, Hunted”: My Testimony

I was arrested for trespassing while resting near a business—because I had nowhere else to go. I was barefoot when released. My wallet was empty. I owed more money than I started with. And I was told: don’t come back here.

They expect us to "get a job." But how, when we’re not even allowed to exist?

There’s no shelter. No transportation. No water. No electricity. And the only “help” comes with religious strings attached. Faith-based shelters demand conversion. If you don’t comply—you don’t eat, don’t shower, don’t sleep inside.

This isn’t rehabilitation. It’s coercion.

And every time you’re seen again—police circle like hawks. The goal is clear: remove the visible poor so developers can sell a prettier Melbourne.

The Pattern: Who Really Benefits?

Behind the scenes, this cycle makes money:

• Police trust funds are paid with court fines and booking fees

• Private jails benefit from longer pre-trial detentions due to unpaid bail

• Religious nonprofits get tax funding while forcing participation in their faith

• Developers and politicians cash in on “cleaning up the streets”

Call to Justice

This is systemic abuse—not an accident, not isolated.

It’s time to expose the silence.

We need:

1. A federal investigation into Brevard County’s use of arrests as revenue.

2. An end to forced religious programming tied to aid.

3. A Housing First policy with real shelter options—not church pews and police cells.

4. Transparency. Public records must be opened. Every arrest, every fine, every dollar tracked.

What You Can Do

• Share this post.

• File a public records request: [link to FOIA template]

• Donate to secular aid groups serving Brevard County.

• Join the #ExposeTheSilence campaign and share your story.

You Are Not Alone

To anyone living on the street, scared of being seen, hunted by the very system sworn to protect you—you are not the problem.

You are the truth they are afraid of.

And now, we’re going to make sure the world sees it.

— Ricardo A. Stoyell
Founder, ExposetheSilence.org