Panhandlers
 

Panhandling 'societal issue': Mullan

November 18, 2009
Daniel Nolan
The Hamilton Spectator
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/674724

Police Chief Brian Mullan has warned that his department does not have the power to resolve complaints about panhandling and loitering in the downtown core.

Local politicians and the Downtown Business Improvement Area are calling for a cleanup of the downtown prior to the 2015 Pan Am Games, particularly targeting the problem of panhandlers.

They have been joined by Tourism Hamilton, which sent a letter to the Hamilton Police Services Board complaining about the "troublesome" panhandling problem and asking police about its plans to correct the perception "the downtown is unsafe."

Mullan, who is in his last weeks as Hamilton's chief before he retires, told the police board Monday the department has done much in the last four years to combat crime downtown, including installing surveillance cameras and bringing in horse patrols. He warned, however, loitering and panhandling are different.

"That speaks to societal issues that are more out of our control," Mullan said.

Mayor Fred Eisenberger conceded that police may not have an answer to dealing with panhandling, and acknowledged this is a "rights issue." However, he said it is the top complaint he hears about in the downtown and people "are frustrated by it." He has asked for a report on what more police can do, but said control efforts might also have to involve the city.

If we can have bylaws for locations for mobile signs, drive thrus, hot dog stands, etc. Why can't we have bylaws prohibiting panhandling in certain sections of Hamilton? Say a bylaw against panhandling along King Street from Bay to Wellington.

Did a quick google search and sure enough Calgary has a panhandling bylaw....

http://www.calgary.ca/portal/server....anhandling.htm

You cannot panhandle within 10m of the entrance to a bank, automated teller machine, transit stop or pedestrian walkway (pedestrian walkways include +15, or any below or above grade walkway, but not a sidewalk).
You cannot panhandle between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
A panhandler cannot obstruct the passage of, walk next to or follow the person being solicited.
You cannot solicit money from an occupant in a motor vehicle.

If the sidewalks downtown were wider than two shoulder widths across, this would be a non issue.

I've had a panhandler follow me to my car begging for money so I doubt bigger sidewalks would solve the panhandling issue.

I never found panhandling to be particularly bad in Hamilton. Ottawa definitely has more, and it hasn't hurt their tourism industry. There are bigger fish to fry, panhandling is one of those bugaboo issues that people find easy to complain about. Getting a few panhandlers off the street will not make any significant contribution downtown Hamilton's fortunes.

what's wrong with panhandlers.... jeezus... i always give them money.


If there was more normal people the street people would be drowned out by the numbers. The only way to get rid of the streetpeople is to attract residents, business people, patrons, tourists..... but obviously that's not going to happen.

Rid the streets of the panhandlers and the streets will be empty.

Mullen was a horrible police chief

good riddens.

1. Cover up with Dhinsa. His own cop making sexual advances to other female cops.
2. Worst transparency ever
3. His cops investigate City Hall corruption and "find nothing wrong". OPP conduct same investigation and lay criminal charges again Moody
4. Vranich's get off with rape

Just off the top of my head.

And the lower crime rate>... Please... every city in NA is reporting less violent crime.... it has to do with demographics. US/Canada are countries turning into old people. Older people tend not to mug and rape people.

And yet... people don't feel safe downtown.... nice job Mullen

Seriously? So downtown Hamilton entire streetscape is nothing but panhandlers? Isn't that a problem worth tackling?

I would support a bylaw restricting panhandling. We all know it’s all about the image. Having a guys with dreadlocks, warts, black teeth, stinks hanging along King St isn’t exactly a nice cozy image for downtown Hamilton. That was the imagine CHCH replayed over the last two days regarding panhandling in downtown Hamilton.

But it will make some significant contribution downtown Hamilton's fortunes.

I'm saying what basically Stinson said. Every city has homeless, panhandlers, people with mental illness living on the fringes of society. The problem with Hamilton is that there is not enough of the "other" people to drown out the image of so many homeless.

I'm definitely sure Calgary has homeless, panhandlers and people with mental illness living within the downtown area. But they won't panhandle since there's a panhandling bylaw. Shouldn't Hamilton deserve the same kinds of bylaws?

I take a real offense to that statement. You don't know how close everyone is from falling through the cracks, marriage/family breakups, kids leaving abusive situations, people with mental illness and don't get treatment/drugs, addiction problems.

These are people.... humans... citizens. Do you actually think this how they want to live? Do we collect them in one area? Just to keep them out of view? SO the world can say, "I'm moving to Hamilton, in fact I'm moving my whole head office there because I didn't see any homeless people on tv"

Yes portraying an image is one thing. But when people discover that 'image', 'brand' was a lie, it is even more damaging then the truthful image.. as bad as that may be.

What's that saying?... a society is judged by how it treats its poor, elderly and disabled. Didn't the China dictatorship do something similar before the Olympics.

I'm going to give more money to panhandlers now. in fact when I go to Jackson Square today I'm buying a mickey of run and giving it along with $5 to the first homeless person I see on York and saying Merry Christmas. And I'll do that every week until xmas.

No. the reason they panhandle where they do is because that's where the people are.

Not much point panhandling along John and Wilson.

and how is a panhandler going to pay his ticket? what address does he/she give the bylaw officer? What will happen when his bylaw tickets add up? Will they levy his/her property tax bill?

It is so fukn stupid.... It's only to make it look like the politicians are doing something. Must be getting close to election time??? Better pass a ridiculous unenforceable bylaw so people living near Lime Ridge Mall say "good for my council, it's about time they cleaned up those dreadlock, dirty people"

Spare Change? Help a 49er?

Sure give more money, it'll only feed the drug dealers daily income and hurt the drug abuser. Instead give a cup of coffee, that's what I do. Or instead donate the money towards a food bank.

These people choose to be on the streets, they can go to homes, shelters, hospitals, addiction centres and affordable homes. We didn't choose to enforce bylaws against mobile signs, hot dog stands, drive thrus, etc. We were forced to do so.

Get enough fines and they'll put the person in jail, perhaps sober up and seek for help.

I'm not going to belabor this. I made my rant.

If you took every panhandler out of Hamilton (which is impossible in reality) downtown would still have all its other problems. Pandhandling is really an insignificant issue and not any more of a problem in Hamilton than anywhere else.

Besides, you can't criminalize people for being poor.