FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Fresno County officials are cracking down on illegal camping starting Friday when the county’s new Illegal Camping Ordinance goes into effect. The new law will make it illegal to camp in a public space like a park or library. “We have a lot of parks throughout Fresno County. We want to make sure when kids go to those parks, those parks remain clean and people can feel safe. And so a lot of public areas need to be cleaned up,” Fresno County Board of Supervisors Chair Nathan Magsig said. Anyone violating the law could face up to six months in jail or a $500 fine. “Our goal is to get people who are homeless into the services that they need, but there are times where there are individuals who don't want services, they're not willing to move. This ordinance will allow us to take them off the streets,” Magsig said. The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office is charged with enforcing the ordinance. The Sheriff’s Office will use the initial phase of this new illegal camping ordinance to educate people how it is now against the law to occupy public property.  If their behavior continues to be a problem, necessary law enforcement actions will be taken against them. In some cases, a person’s belongings may need to be taken from them for storage purposes.  We are currently working through the logistics of this process to meet the requirements of the ordinance. Fresno County Sheriff’s Office Fresno Mission CEO Matthew Dildine says his organization is already struggling to find places to house people. The ordinance could challenge their capacity further. “We've had to open our warming center two months earlier, not because it's cold, but because we have so many people with children coming to us without a place to go,” Dildine said. Despite his concerns about a lack of space, he says anyone looking for a warm place to lay their head is welcome to join their programs. “We are a faith-driven ministry, and God calls us to be faithful for what's in front of us today. And so that's what we're going to do. We're going to be faithful for what's in front of us and who he brings to our door today,” Dildine said. The county’s illegal camping ordinance takes effect Friday, and the City of Fresno will enact its own ordinance Sept. 23.