Politics & Government

Concord To Consider Panhandling Ban

Concord City Council will consider a new law on Tuesday that would prohibit people from begging near Automatic Teller Machines and other areas in town.
 
The proposed ordinance would ban “aggressive solicitation” and “captive audience” solicitation, which is colloquially known as panhandling. 

If approved, the new city law would make it illegal to beg for donations within 30 feet of bus stops and restaurants, as well as within 50 feet of any bank or ATM. The logic behind creating a legal distance barrier is that people who are waiting to get on a bus or at a cafe cannot move away from a person who is begging for money without compromising their endeavor.

The Concord Police Department responded to 1,928 homeless people-related calls for service in the 2012-13 fiscal year, according to public records. The department says about 20 percent of those involved panhandling. 

In the City of Concord, the top five locations where panhandling happens are the Safeway on Willow Pass Rd., Todos Santos Plaza, Park N Shop, Food Max, and Stapes, according to the police department.

If approved, the ordinance would go into effect in January 2014. The first offense is considered an infraction. The third would be a misdemeanor.

For the full text of the law, peruse this city staff report.

Should Concord ban panhandling?


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here