Matt Critton/The Lantern
Robert Lee West sits on the corner of High Street Wednesday afternoon.
Because more people are complaining about panhandlers, Columbus City Council is considering a proposal to make it easier to charge someone with aggressive panhandling.
The council's Public Safety Committee met Tuesday to discuss the definition of evidence of intimidation by a panhandler. The changes would add parking meters, metered parking lots, pay telephones and outdoor patios to the list of places where any panhandling would be automatically considered aggressive.
Also, the changes would increase from 20 to 25 feet the radius from an automated teller machine, bank, or casher of checks within which panhandling would be considered aggressive.
"We can make it clear that these are prima facie violations because of the immediacy of the money at hand, while still allowing the individuals to exercise their free speech," Assistant City Attorney Lara Baker said.
The city now labels as aggressive all panhandling in bus stop area shelters, panhandling by performing or offering to perform a service to the occupant of a motor vehicle, touching or following during panhandling and the use of violent or threatening gestures.
Changes to the legislation "will give us the ability to do our job, whereas right now these complaints are coming in, normally, we can't do anything about it, because panhandlers who are causing the community to make these phone calls are within their rights," said Sgt. Matt Harris of the Columbus Division of Police.
The council hopes to vote on the ordinance by the end of October, Councilman Andrew Ginther said.
"My guess is this (legislation) is going to put a significant dent in the ability to aggressively panhandle on public lots, places where any types of financial transactions are taking place, and give law enforcement... what they need to do to actually take action once they've seen this take place or it's been reported to the police," Ginther said.
The ordinance would be part of a larger solution to aggressive panhandling, Ginther said. The city needs to provide more options for individuals to donate to the homeless and to help residents feel less guilty about turning down panhandlers, he said.
"We're widely recognized as one of the most generous communities in the country," Ginther said.
mckeever.16@osu.edu
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