Charlottetown prohibits 'aggressive solicitation' on city streets

The City of Charlottetown changed its nuisance bylaw Monday night in an effort to crack down on aggressive panhandlers.

• Panhandlers skeptical of crackdown in Charlottetown

• Charlottetown councillors want to crack down on panhandling

The amended bylaw defines what it means to solicit, to solicit aggressively, and to solicit a captive audience. It prohibits aggressive solicitation which means obstructing passage of another person; making continued requests; insulting, threatening or intimidating; making physical contact; or being impaired while soliciting.

It also prohibits soliciting within five metres of a captive audience, which includes people using an ATM, transit stop, or using public transit, getting in or out of vehicles in a parking lot or a someone in a stopped vehicle on a roadway.

There's a social problem there, and I think there's a law enforcement issue as well. Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee

"I do think it's getting out of control in our city," said Charlottetown Mayor Clifford Lee.

"There's a social problem there, and I think there's a law enforcement issue as well."

The bylaw was rewritten by the police department, Lee said, which asked for more authority to effectively deal with panhandlers on the streets.

"It gives the police department some authority to deal with panhandlers. How the police department plans to do that, I'm not sure," Lee added.

"I've certainly heard from many people over the years about panhandlers camping out on particular corners from one end of the day to the other," Lee said.

MORE P.E.I. NEWSI Charlottetown's Victoria Row Extends pedestrian season

MORE P.E.I. NEWSI Island Wide Roofing to pay $10K after man breaks legs in accident