Signs recently placed around the Brady Arts District by business owners urge people walking on public sidewalks not to give money to panhandlers.
City officials said the signs are part of a larger effort to reduce the number of panhandlers using downtown’s pedestrian traffic to ask for money.
The signs read, “Please do not pay the panhandlers.”
The signs, placed on private property along public walkways, have red lettering and do not identify the party responsible for the notices.
Dwain Midget, director of the city’s Community Development Department, said the signs were placed privately and would be categorized similarly to “No Loitering” signs for businesses.
“I don’t know if there is a real distinction there,” Midget said. “There’s no permit needed for loitering signs.”
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Bob Fleischman, president of the Brady Arts District Business Association, said the signs are not officially associated with his group.
Fleischman said business owners in the area paid for the signs.
“We’re just dealing with the situation like anyone else that lives and works downtown,” Fleischman said.
Mack Haltom, associate director of the Day Center for the Homeless, said he doesn’t think the signs’ message is out of line, but visitors from other cities may find them jarring.
“I wonder how that would look for folks from out of town,” Haltom said. “I’ve never seen those signs in other cities.”
Haltom said the signs may have an educational aspect, helping the public to understand that panhandling is generally negative for a community.
“I personally believe that giving to panhandlers really is, more than likely, not a good thing,” he said. “It would be much better if people would give to agencies to help.”
While not all panhandling or panhandlers are a negative to the community, Haltom said, giving to panhandlers largely contributes to substance abuse.
Haltom said the signs do not represent the law and do not prohibit someone from giving to a panhandler.
“If someone wants to give, they are going to give it to them,” Haltom said.
Tom Baker, manager of the Downtown Coordinating Council, said his organization is working with a number of groups to address the problem of panhandling in downtown.
Baker said the larger goal is to educate the public that giving money doesn’t help the panhandlers.
“That is one of the key elements of the message: Don’t give money to panhandlers,” Baker said.
Baker said the DCC had no involvement in the Brady Arts District signs, but the signs may be a small part of a larger message city leaders and local business leaders are preparing to address panhandling.
Jarrel Wade 918-581-8367
