Efforts target aggressive panhandling in downtown St. Louis

ST. LOUIS • City and civic leaders are planning to take a fresh approach to aggressive panhandlers downtown.

After years of attempts to curb panhandling of downtown residents and visitors, some complain that panhandlers have grown in number and gotten more bold with their tactics. In response, civic leaders and city officials are planning new strategies as anti-panhandling ordinances, which appear to have had little effect in St. Louis’ downtown, come under fire nationally in the courts.

It’s a considerable problem for downtown business owners who fear that intimidating situations cause people to stay away from the heart of the city.

The city defines aggressive panhandling as approaching a person in a way that would make them feel threatened, persisting in panhandling when given a negative response, or to touch, block, or follow a person when panhandling.

Eddie Roth, the city’s newly appointed director of human services, says he expects to deliver a plan within the next month to Mayor Francis Slay on how to combat the problem.

“Dealing resolutely and effectively — but fairly, compassionately and lawfully — with problems of aggressive panhandling depends on solid coordination and cooperation between police, civil libertarians, service providers, city agencies and local businesses, as well as panhandlers themselves,” Roth said.

Roth indicated the city would consider identifying professional panhandlers, who aren’t homeless and make their living asking for money, and treat them like a business, requiring them to apply for a license.

“I think we can make something really excellent happen here,” Roth said.

Missy Kelley, the chief operating officer of Downtown St. Louis Inc., says the organization is planning a public awareness campaign to educate residents on how to interact with panhandlers.

“It’s such a consistent complaint,” Kelley said. “We have to remind people of best practices.”

Kelley recommends that people not give money or even food to panhandlers. She said that practice encourages panhandlers to congregate at places where they find success.

“It’s something that just makes them more tolerable of the situation they are in,” Kelley said. In other words, she said, giving money or food enables people to stay on the street.

The Rev. Larry Rice, a longtime advocate for the homeless in downtown St. Louis, disagrees with that approach.

“This is the same as saying, ‘Don’t feed the pigeons, you’ll bring more pigeons,’” Rice said. “I don’t buy it.”

Rice said he and his wife often carry small items of food with them and give them to beggars on the street.

“If you turn your heart and mind away from someone, it hurts you the most,” Rice said.

Still, some say that giving money can lead to other problems. In 2013, a man approached former Missouri Gov. Bob Holden on Washington Avenue and asked for money to buy gasoline for his stranded car. When Holden pulled out a money clip, the man snatched it and ran away.

Instead, Kelley says residents are encouraged to direct people to places that offer human services, like St. Patrick Center in downtown St. Louis.

She said it’s important to encourage people to get help through various programs that are available in the city. Kelley also said it’s a common misconception that all beggars are homeless.

Kelley said the organization is talking with Lyda Krewson, alderman in the Central West End neighborhood, who helped start an anti-panhandling program called “Real Change.”

That program allows people who feel bad about not giving directly to a panhandler to give money at various meters in the neighborhood. The money is then collected and given to social service programs.

“There was a marked decrease in panhandling,” Krewson said. “I think it is pretty effective.”

Downtown is considering the use of a mobile phone app that would do something similar.

Krewson was the lead sponsor of legislation in 2008 that essentially banned aggressive panhandling in the city.

The ordinance forbids aggressive panhandling, in addition to more passive panhandling near businesses, schools, crosswalks, cafes, ATMs, public transportation, parks and city buildings.

Such ordinances are controversial with civil liberties groups who say asking for money is a form of free speech. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide this month whether it will hear an appeal challenging an anti-aggressive panhandling ordinance in Massachusetts.

The Central West End also turned to a private security company to help curb panhandling. In downtown, authorities say the city’s bike patrol spends about 70 percent of its time on homeless issues or enforcing the panhandling ordinance.

One of the area’s trouble spots is outside of downtown’s Culinaria grocery, which is operated by Schnucks Markets.

Lori Willis, the company’s director of communications, said “panhandling is an ongoing issue in the downtown community and because Schnucks is the center of a lot of activity, our Culinaria management and security teams have been trained to deter it. Our first priority is to our customers, and we have procedures in place to protect the quality of their shopping experiences inside and outside of our store.”

Panhandling is not a problem isolated to St. Louis. It is common in cities across the country, from San Francisco to New York. It sometimes appears more pronounced in downtown St. Louis only because the area has fewer pedestrians walking the streets, so the ratio of panhandler to pedestrian is higher.

Earline Bell, a downtown resident, says she sometimes gets panhandled up to four times while walking downtown before she reaches her destination.

“It has really increased,” said Bell.

But she and others say the panhandlers have gotten more aggressive.

“Now you get people knocking on your car windows or following you,” Bell said.

Sometimes the panhandlers approach people who are having dinner or trying to shop, creating an uncomfortable, intimidating situation for the person being asked for money.

Bell said she recently had someone curse at her when she rejected a request for money.

Matt O’Leary, who has lived downtown for 16 years, said there has been a steady increase in panhandling.

“There’s a lot more people who get in your way,” O’Leary said. “People who will follow you around and pester you. People who will stand over you and ask for money. Enforcement is not particularly helpful. We are going to need to be artful.”

Follow reporter Nick Pistor on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nickpistor

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