By Desare Frazier |MPB| January 25, 2021
Joshua Tom with the American Civil Liberties Union says it’s a person’s First Amendment right to ask for money in public. He says cities are losing lawsuits for arresting or citing people over the issue. Tom says panhandling by the homeless shouldn’t be treated as a criminal offense by law enforcement.
“Citing people and arresting people which is simply sweeping the problem out of sight, what is seen to work across the country is engaging in a collaborative effort with law enforcement like housing, mental health counseling, substance abuse counseling,” said Tom.
Tom says experts from across the country are helping to train law enforcement in Jackson and Hinds County and to build partnerships with social services agencies. Mary Simon is with Open Door Homeless Coalition in Biloxi. She says they’ve teamed up with their police department.
“To try to identify people most in need so that instead of criminalizing the behavior we are able to identify people and try to figure exactly what they need,” said Simon.
Kenney Washington is with Back Bay Mission in Biloxi. He says there are people in need who feel like the quickest way to get cash is to panhandle. But,
“Every person that’s panhandling is not homeless. If you would just look at a location in town, watch that location and watch people come and go, you’ll see people getting in cars and other things, so it’s a misconception that everyone panhandling is homeless,” said Washington.
Washington says that’s why it’s important that communities provide comprehensive services and a livable wage to Mississippians. According to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness on any given day in 2019 more than 1,100 people were homeless in the state.
