Fort Lauderdale officials say their goal is not to arrest homeless people for sleeping on the sidewalk — but if they have to, they will. And if the Broward County jail refuses to take them, Fort Lauderdale says it will have no choice but to make arrests based on the state law that bans sleeping and camping in public places rather than the new city ordinance approved Tuesday night. A new state law banning camping or sleeping on public property took effect Tuesday.