I can't guess how many times I've thought of asking a Coeur d'Alene police officer about our panhandling laws in Coeur d'Alene -- only to forget when an officer was around. I rarely see panhandlers in town, although I've been hit up a time or two by them. Occasionally, panhandlers hang out around the intersections at Highway 95 and Fourth Street, until someone complains about them. Today, I finally remembered my panhandler question when Sgt. Christie Wood called about a press release. Indeed, Coeur d'Alene has a law against panhandling, and, judging from Scanner Traffic, enforce it quickly. Which I appreciate. How about you?

Question: Are you glad that the Coeur d'Alene area enforces its laws against panhandling? Or do you think we should take a hands-off approach and allow panhanlding, as cities like San Francisco and Portland do?