'No panhandling' sign won't deter begging, critics say

A new sign at the intersection of 23rd Avenue and Parsons Road dissuadingmotorists from givingmoney to panhandlerswon't work, two critics believe.

The sign reads: "Panhandling not permitted. Donate in a safer way call 211".

City councillor Michael Walters said panhandlingmay be getting worse in his ward but hedoesn't think a signwill deterbegging.

"You see more and more homelessness and more and more panhandling and activity in south Edmonton these days than we have before," he said."I've never known them [signs]to be effective in any way."

A sign in onespecific spot will simply prompt panhandlers to go somewhere else, he said.

"They'll just find a different corner in a different way, so they may then start panhandling in parking lots in grocery stores," he suggested. "Or they just find different intersections that have lots of traffic."

The reason forthe sign going up at that intersection isn't clear.

211 is a 24-hour hotlinethat helps people connect to social, health and government services.

A City of Edmonton spokespersontoldCBCNews that police requested the sign. A police spokespersonsaid signsallowthem to enforce the no-panhandling bylaw but there was no information on whether there was a specific problem at the intersection, or that a local business has complainedrecently.

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Aidan Inglis, director of programs with Boyle Street Community Services, also thinks that putting up a sign will push panhandlers to a different location.

"Are they going to go to an intersection that's potentially more dangerous?" Inglis said. "They're not going to just essentially close up shop."

Inglissaid street clientspanhandle out of desperation.

"People essentially feel they've stripped away all of their pride when they get to the point when they have to panhandle," Inglis said. "People are often very desperate when they have to do that."

Personal choice

Inglis believes giving money is a personal choice but he hopes people will respond with kindness to panhandlers.

"Saying hi, asking how someone is, wishing they have a good day goes a long way in having positive interactions with people who are panhandling."

He said the agency also talks to clients about their methods and encourages them to be as polite as possible.

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"There's nothing that stops people from asking for money," he said. "As long as they're doing it in a way that is not causing anyone harm they're not chasing people down the street being aggressive."

Walters believes the solution is to create more affordable housing and providemore mental health services.

"What we really need to do is up our game in providing permanent supportive housing in all areas of Edmonton," he said.

Funding for these initiatives comes from the provincial and federal governments, he said, while the city creates strategiesand helps oversee projects.