Monday, April 4, 2011

Laws Aimed at "Dealing" with the Homeless

Last August, according to an article by Jennifer Edwards in the St. Augustine Record, the St. Augustine City Commission took up discussion on how to curb “aggressive panhandling” in the heavily trafficked tourist areas of downtown. According to the article, Assistant City Attorney Carlos Mendoza said that “several tourists have complained about panhandlers and transients, which worries officials.”

“The City of St. Augustine relies heavily on tourist dollars ...,” he said. “When we get phone calls and e-mails that the experience someone had on vacation was sullied, that gives us great concern.” The full article can be read at: http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-08-09/city-seeks-panhandling-solution.

In October of 2010, the St. Augustine Record published that the City Commission passed Ordinance No. 2010-35, which amends section 18-8 of the city code to prohibit “begging, panhandling and solicitation after dark by any means.” At that time, the case given for the ordinance by Mr. Mendoza was to, “to protect those who are being solicited as well as those soliciting.” The full text of this article can be found at: http://staugustine.com/news/local-news/2010-10-12/city-passes-panhandling-ordinance.

It would be interesting to know what the city's real motivation was behind the passage of this ordinance (tourist dollars or public safety), especially considering the geographic boundaries outlined in the ordinance for its enforcement. I have heard from the homeless in St. Augustine that violation of this ordinance has resulted in jail time for repeat offenders, which only complicates their attempts at finding gainful employment. Has this ordinance really improved safety in St. Augustine, or just driven the homeless to areas of the city less frequented by tourists?

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