Columbus City Council Addresses Aggressive Panhandling
On
Monday, June 25, 2018, Council passed ordinance 1777-2018 to repeal and replace
Chapter 2333 and to amend Section 2171.06 of the Columbus City Codes. This
legislation reflects Council’s commitment to balancing investment in human services
and protecting public safety.
Over
the past two years, Council met with the Mayor’s Administration, neighborhood
community groups from Franklinton, Hilltop and the South Side, Downtown and
Short North Special Improvement Districts, Community Shelter Board, Experience
Columbus as well as many other local service providers to address the growing
safety concerns of residents.
Earlier
this year, Council held two public hearings with testimony from outreach
workers, business leaders and community members, and drafted amendments to City
Code to address aggressive behaviors.
“This
is not an attack on poverty or homelessness, but a measure to provide
protections for those who give and those who receive,” said Councilmember Mitchell J. Brown.
These
amendments do not make asking for money illegal but address specific, unsafe
behaviors, such as:
- Participating in distribution in the right-of-way;
- Unwanted touching or grabbing while attempting to
engage in distribution;
- Following someone after they have expressed they are
unwilling or unable to engage in distribution;
- Standing within three feet of someone while they are
operating an ATM machine; and
- Blocking the sidewalk, entrance to a building or any
other public right-of-way
Distribution
is defined as an exchange or an attempt to exchange a physical item between two
or more individuals.
Councilmembers
continue to work on combating poverty in Columbus, which include housing
instability, addiction and mental health. Over the last two years, Council has
provided more than $14 million in funding to our community partners:
- More than $12 million to the Community Shelter Board,
which helps provide stable housing
- More than $1.2 million to Maryhaven, which provides
behavioral health and addiction services
- More than $600K to Alvis, which provides mental health
and addiction services
- More than $250K to Netcare, which provides crisis
response services
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