Panhandlers Growing More Hostile Experts Say Pedestrians Should Be Firm, Say No And Walk Away

If you frequent downtown Spokane, you are no stranger to panhandlers.

They sit on sidewalks with cups or stand on busy street corners.

“Will work for food,” is the familiar sign, and “Can you spare any change?” the well-worn but popular refrain.

More often now, Spokane police say, panhandlers can become hostile when people decline. But whether pathetic or intimidating, experts say the best strategy with panhandlers is to be firm, say no and walk away.

“These aren’t the kindly winos from 20 years ago that would wish you a nice day,” said Sandy Richards, a crime prevention specialist with the Spokane Police Department.

“Often, these are very desperate people,” she said.

Indeed, police and social service agencies confirm what most people suspect. Money that homeless people say they need for food, bus fare or phone calls is usually used to feed addictions.

“Nine times out of 10, they use that money for drugs or alcohol,” Richards said.

To get money, homeless people rely on what Richards calls the Christian ethic. They play to most people’s sense of guilt and pity when they beg.

“The important thing to remember is that you’re not their only resource for help,” Richards said.

Richards noted that there are numerous facilities for homeless people in Spokane where people can get free food, clothing and shelter.

Spokane seems to be known for its hospitality to transients, according to Terry Lawhead, operations director with the Downtown Spokane Partnership.

“Spokane is generous. We have big hearts,” he said.

But, “giving them money makes the problem worse in the long term,” Lawhead said.

He oversees the security ambassadors who patrol the downtown area. They deal with panhandlers on a daily basis.

Not only does giving panhandlers the odd nickel or dime encourage them to continue asking for money, it also makes Spokane attractive to other homeless people, he said.

“It’s a problem,” he said. “And there are no easy solutions.”

That’s particularly so because people, including transients, have constitutional rights to be on the sidewalk.

“It raises complex issues about what property owners can do,” he said.

Clear cut, however, is a city ordinance that prohibits soliciting “money or anything of value on public property without a licence,” Richards said. She urges people to call Crime Check and report such occurrences.

For more information on how to deal with panhandlers or where the homeless can get help, call the Police Crime Prevention Office at 625-4075.

For immediate problems with panhandlers, call SPD’s Crime Check at 456-2233 or the Ambassadors street supervisor at 353-9111.