HONOLULU -- The Honolulu City Council last week approved measures to make it easier to kick out homeless campers from public parks.

Illegal homeless camping has been on the increase ever since the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled the city's "no camping law" was unconstitutional. Kapiolani Park is now dotted with homeless camps.

On Wednesday, council members strengthened the law to make it easier to relocate homeless and seize their left behind belongings.

"Of course I am strongly in support of this. As some people may know, the city has not been enforcing its camping laws since the Supreme Court said our definition of camping is too broad," Councilman Charles Djou said.

"Hopefully this is going to help the Parks Department keep our parks clean and safe for all of us," Councilman Donovan Dela Cruz said.

The mayor said the city still will try to be gentle in removing homeless from parks.

"We are always going to work very compassionately with the less fortunate, the homeless, the physically challenged in our community," Mayor Mufi Hannemann said.

The mayor declined to say what the city will do with the Kapiolani Park campers.

Hannemann said all homeless sweeps are carefully worked out in advance with the state to try and find shelter and transitional housing for the uprooted campers.