But local law enforcement officials and downtown advocates say calls and complaints about people asking for money are down, and they largely credit policing strategies and a concerted effort to get help for people on the streets.
“Some of this may be the result of COVID, because people aren’t venturing out as much,” said Sandy Gudorf, president of the Downtown Dayton Partnership. “But also, the bigger picture is continued efforts by the Dayton police, our ambassadors and social service agencies of really working together to try to connect those vulnerable individuals to services they need.”
There have been about 256 calls for service related to panhandling in the city, compared to 337 in 2019 and 610 in 2018, according to Dayton police data.
The Dayton prosecutor’s office has charged two people with violating the pedestrian safety laws this year, which is a significant decline, said Stephanie Cook, the city’s chief prosecutor.
She said the coronavirus is likely a major factor in the trend, but she also thinks an active police presence and aggressive enforcement of city code have played a role.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many people are spending a lot more time at home.
There has been less traffic on some roadways, and people who normally might ask for money may feel unsafe doing so. Likewise, some people may be less inclined to handout money because of safety concerns.
Some groups have strongly discouraged people from putting spare change in panhandlers’ buckets, cups and hands during the outbreak, over fears of potentially spreading germs and the virus.
But officials say they think Dayton policing strategies are paying off.
In response to growing complaints about aggressive panhandling, the city of Dayton approved a pedestrian safety ordinance in 2018 that prohibits people from entering or remaining on certain portions of highways ― like traffic islands and medians, said Dayton police Lt. James Mullins, commander of the central patrol operations district.
The new regulations, while not heavily enforced, have led to a reduction in panhandlers loitering at highway entrance and exit ramps, Mullins said.
Instead of making arrests and issuing citations for many violations, police educated violators by issuing warnings and informational flyers explaining the city’s law, he said.
“By giving them the flyer with all the information they needed to know, they had no way of denying knowledge of the law,” he said.
Police were “very generous” with their educational efforts, and many would-be panhandlers stopped loitering at prohibited locations, Mullins said.
The police department also deploys officers with its Mobile Crisis Response Team to follow up on panhandling complaints to try to connect people with resources for housing and other needs.
About the Author
