Raleigh to start taking names of ‘aggressive beggars’ warned or cited by police

Police will begin keeping track of “aggressive beggars” who are warned or cited in Southeast Raleigh in an effort to reduce panhandling complaints along New Bern Avenue.

In a Sept. 6 memo, City Manager Marchell Adams-David said there have been 73 complaints about panhandling so far this year in the Police Department’s Southeast District.

When is panhandling illegal?

The Police Department treats panhandling as a quality-of-life issue.

City and state rules make it illegal:

• to beg upon streets or elsewhere in Raleigh without a permit.
• to ask for money in an aggressive manner that intimidates people, including within 100 feet of an ATM or between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.
• to stand or sit in street or road right-of-way in order to approach cars to ask for money
• to be intoxicated in a public place and disruptive by begging for money

What has Raleigh been doing?

City Council member Corey Branch, who represents the Southeast District, asked last month what the city is doing about panhandling complaints and if the ACORNS Unit could help along New Bern Avenue. The ACORNS program is a team of social workers and police officers who work to connect people experiencing homelessness, substance use or mental health problems with organizations that can help them.

The city has taken an “educate first, enforcement last” approach, Adams-David responded in the memo. The complaints are mostly in the 1000 and 4000 blocks of New Bern Avenue at the intersections with North Raleigh Boulevard and New Hope Road

“Most of these offenders were given a warning, a few were given citations, and a quarter were unfounded complaints,” she wrote. “Some of the offenders were found to have active warrants and were promptly arrested.”

Police held meetings in July and August to educate community members on what is lawful and what is unlawful.

But until now there has been no database to tell officers when someone they encounter has been warned or cited before..

What will the city do differently now?

“Effective immediately, Southeast District Community Squad members will begin compiling this information for possible future enforcement actions,” Adams-David wrote.

“They will keep track of individuals they encounter and the disposition of that encounter (citation or warning),” she wrote. “This information will aid in locating these individuals to offer health and human services when possible. This information will be passed on to district officers in case of continual encounters.”

ACORNS officers are already being consulted on panhandling, the manager added. They will continue offering resources and will partner with the Housing and Neighborhood Services department to help panhandlers who do not have a home.

But Adams-David said those who are warned and go on to violate rules and refuse offers of help will receive a citation, or ticket.

“A progression of violations will eventually result in the subject’s arrest, a series of actions that will significantly reduce the panhandling issue,” she wrote. “If implemented effectively, these actions will curb the aggressive beggars in the area and significantly reduce citizen complaints.”

“Reducing panhandling incidents will create a safer and more orderly community along the New Bern Ave corridor,” she wrote.