City weighs panhandling concerns

Pat Kimbrough, The High Point Enterprise, N.C.
·2 min read

Jun. 8—HIGH POINT — When it comes to addressing panhandling problems, prevention — rather than enforcement — should be the priority, according to city officials.

High Point police Chief Travis Stroud told a City Council committee Wednesday that some panhandlers who approach motorists at major intersections are not truly in need.

The city could launch a social media campaign to make the public aware of this, he said.

"The truth is, a lot of this money — it's not going where you think it is," Stroud said. "I think a lot of these folks, they've figured out that this is a cash cow. I think if you go up and talk to some of these folks, you see some of the wads of cash they're holding — they've figured out this is a free ATM at the intersections."

A publicity campaign could identify and expose fraudulent organizations or individuals that engage in panhandling, he said.

"Some of the groups that you see sitting out there are complete frauds — the religious institutes and things like that — absolute frauds," Stroud said. "If we could get people to stop giving money at the intersections, this would not be a problem anymore, I don't think."

A campaign could identify credible charitable organizations for interested donors that benefit those truly in need, he said.

While panhandling may be a problem, police generally can't make an arrest or issue a citation unless someone is impeding traffic or aggressively asking for money, and an officer witnesses it firsthand, he said.

Panhandling in and of itself is not illegal.

"Even though there may be a percentage of these individuals who may not be on the up-and-up when it comes to what they're doing, I think we can't just dismiss the idea that there are people in distress," said Councilman Michael Holmes. "So I want to make sure that we take a very compassionate approach to this, because their safety is important as well."

A campaign could also publicize resources for housing, mental health and addiction treatment, job skills training and employment opportunities, according to the city.