Panhandling and harassment downtown (Atlanta, Albany: tenant, legal, gangs)

[alco89]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I hear what you're saying, but my point is this:

Begging has only gotten worse over the past 10 years. There are really only 2 possible scenarios:

1) The city isn't taking the problem seriously enough
2) The city is taking the problem seriously, but they are failing miserably at doing anything to actually curb it

So either way, the city is doing a poor job. I know it's not easy, I know it takes guts and will, but that's why we elect a city council. If it was easy, anybody could do it. It's not like the Beltline where you have land deals to worry about, construction costs, rights of way, and everything else. This is simply a question of saying we have a behavior and we are going to decide that we are no longer going to tolerate this behavior. It's already illegal, all we have to do is enforce it. I'm talking about the no panhandling zone, where begging has only increased since the law was passed.

I know maybe I sound like a jerk, but we really need to hold the city's feet to the fire on this because it is starting to really hurt the city. Before it was just annoying, but people are actually not coming here because of it now.

The reason I know it can be fixed is because New York did it. Giuliani wasn't popular with everybody and the things he did had some negative consequences, but few people would argue that Times Square isn't a zillion times better than it was 20 years ago. New York once again became the destination it always could have been with just a little political will and not being afraid to be unpopular with some people. I don't think many people would vote for New York to go back to the way it was in the 1980s.

So you're suggesting Atlanta arrests all the homeless and put them all in homeless shelters? That's what Giuliani did.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by alco89

So you're suggesting Atlanta arrests all the homeless and put them all in homeless shelters? That's what Giuliani did.

Yes. I think we should.

If they are that destitute then they need help. There is no reason for someone to be in the street begging.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

Yes. I think we should.

If they are that destitute then they need help. There is no reason for someone to be in the street begging.

I would support that as well. Give them food and shelter, at least for some period of time. Isn't that a humane thing to do?

[Onthemove2014]

The only panhandlers I'll allow on the street are clever ones that offer something like the " Street Poetry" dude in lil 5. That dude isn't aggressive and is actually willing do something for the money.

[arjay57]

Why not simply disperse the panhandlers to our suburban areas? That's where most of the people are and it would be much easier to provide humane living conditions. Frankly the malls would probably afford better pickings anyway.

[Onthemove2014]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Why not simply disperse the panhandlers to our suburban areas? That's where most of the people are and it would be much easier to provide humane living conditions. Frankly the malls would probably afford better pickings anyway.

Put the in the middle of Douglas or Caroll county somewhere. That would be better then downtown.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

So are you going to tell me that a publicly funded university had more money and resources than a major U.S. city? That campus is a lot larger than the no panhandling triangle in Atlanta, I promise.

Yes, by far. A public university has several orders of magnitude more resources to devote to its campus than a major city has to devote to its enttire city.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by Onthemove2014

Put the in the middle of Douglas or Caroll county somewhere. That would be better then downtown.

Locating them near regional malls is much more humane. Downtown is simply not a hospitable place when you are down on your luck.

[midtown mile girl]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Why not simply disperse the panhandlers to our suburban areas? That's where most of the people are and it would be much easier to provide humane living conditions. Frankly the malls would probably afford better pickings anyway.

They are already there.

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by alco89

It's soooo unfortunate that I can't rep you again! I couldn't agree with you more top to bottom!

Seems like people love blaming Atlanta for these issues as if other places don't suffer from the same problems. I'm not saying that this is an excuse for Atlanta, but the city has definitely tried to fix this things (just like every other city) and has mostly failed (just like every other city). If there was a sure-fire way to eradicate this panhandling issue, I'm 1000% sure Atlanta and EVERYWHERE ELSE would have done it by now!

We're on the same page.