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In a downturn, begging goes on an upswing. “You do see more of it,” says Roughan MacNamara of Focus Ireland, which aids the homeless. A typical government response is to crack down. Ireland, for instance, is rewriting 1847 anti-vagrancy laws so that police officers can round up “aggressive” beggars, deemed a threat to pedestrians, businesses, and tourism.
Anti-begging laws are gaining popularity in North America as well, says University of Toronto criminologist Joe Hermer. But his research suggests that police initially enforce such laws, then inevitably turn to other issues—and beggars return to the streets.
Another tactic to reduce begging is “diverted giving.” There’s a common perception that beggars use handouts for drugs and booze. So in cities like Baltimore and Denver, folks can drop coins in converted parking meters; the money goes to homeless charities. But beggars aren’t all substance abusers. In a seminal 2001 U.K. survey, 45 percent cited food as their main purchase; 37 percent said drugs.
Meanwhile, parking-meter altruism doesn’t help everyone figure out how to react to a lonely, outstretched hand. “Sometimes I give, sometimes I don’t,” admits Ed Shurna, a Chicago advocate for the homeless. “But my philosophy is that I always say hello.” —Marc Silver
Photo: Panhandlers, like this one in New York City, are a small but highly visible segment of the homeless.
Photograph by Lynn Johnson.
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Sep 9, 2009 1PM #
In Vancouver I noticed the increase of homelessness over the past few years. Most people that I asked said it was in part due to the climate, making it easier to live on the streets. Recently the police have tried to "relocate" the homeless to shelters around the city, only with mixed results.
Last year, a lady was burned alive on the street corner because the shelter would let her bring her shopping cart in from the street. This is a complex problem with now easy solutions. The city of Vancouver is facing a problem with a high population of homelessness and the 2010 winter games coming soon. I can only hope that they find a lasting solution to help these people.
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