Are Simi Valley’s panhandlers getting more aggressive?

Panhandlers are causing problems in front of some local shopping centers, and Simi police are asking residents to help by not opening their wallets to solicitors.

Simi Valley Police Lt. Joe May said the department has been experiencing an increase in calls for service from local merchants who are receiving complaints from their customers. Shoppers say aggressive panhandlers are urinating on cars in the parking lots, obstructing the flow of traffic, using profanity and displaying foul or offensive signs aimed at soliciting a donation of cash.

May said Target and Walmart seem to be the panhandlers’ favorite hangouts.

“The shopping centers in the areas of Sycamore and Cochran, to include the Do-it Center, Ross center and Target center, as well as the shopping centers on Cochran, just east of Madera—that seems to be the greatest area,” he said.

Reportedly, the panhandlers have become more antagonistic and belligerent. May said there was one panhandler whose sign read, “Whatever you can give, God bless,” but if a person didn’t give, the panhandler would turn the sign around to reveal an expletive.

“They would use obscene language and express their displeasure with people who chose not to give to them or not to make donations personally to them,” May said.

The lieutenant said the generosity and eagerness of Simi residents to help those less fortunate is only making things worse. It’s even attracted panhandlers from outside the area to come to Simi.

“There are some who have been longtime Simi Valley residents, but there are others who have relocated here. They’re not from the area; they’ve had no nexus to the area, no known address in the area, no known employment in the area,” May said.

Though the city does have a law against aggressive solicitation, it is very specific, May said. For example, the police couldn’t arrest the man with the foul, mean-spirited sign.

“If you’re sitting to the side quietly asking for money and just being inappropriate when you don’t get what you’re looking for, that doesn’t meet the elements of the ordinance,” he said.

The ordinance prohibits “approaching or following pedestrians, repetitive soliciting despite refusals, the use of abusive or profane language to cause fear and intimidation, unwanted physical contact or the intentional blocking of pedestrian and vehicular traffic.”

The trouble for police is distinguishing between someone just being a nuisance—like the man with the sign—and someone actually being aggressive and threatening a person’s safety, City Attorney Tracy Noonan said.

“Panhandling is considered First Amendment activity so any type of regulation the city imposes . . . is strictly scrutinized,” she said. “Residents might not like it but unless panhandlers are blocking access or being aggressive, it is difficult for police to (regulate) panhandling itself.”

Early in 2007, the City Council tried to strengthen its panhandling ordinance but was blocked by opposition from the community.

Since panhandling is considered protected speech, the proposed ordinance would have applied only to those who solicit along the public right of way and at driveways of private, commercial parking lots.

Due to the increase in panhandling, Mayor Paul Miller said, it may be time for the council to revisit the issue to see if the current law is adequate.

“Because of legal constraints there’s not a whole lot we can do about it, but I’d say we need to look at it again. If panhandling were to constitute a public safety issue, then we need to do what we can to make sure people are safe,” Miller said.

In the meantime, police are turning to residents to help combat the problem, asking citizens not to give money directly to panhandlers and businesses not to allow panhandlers to hang out in front of their stores.

The police and the city’s Task Force on Homelessness encourage residents to direct their contributions of cash, food or clothing to local nonprofit organizations (see box below left).

Acorn Bits

Want to help someone down on their luck? To make sure your money is being used as you intended, donate to these organizations instead of giving directly to panhandlers:

•The Samaritan Center: P.O. Box 940568, Simi Valley, CA 93094, (805) 579-9166

•Simi Valley Care and Share: 5924 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley, CA 93063, (805) 522-5676

•Free Clinic of Simi Valley: 2060 Tapo St., Simi Valley, CA 93063, (805) 522- 3733