A recent story in the Akron Beacon Journal by Bob Dyer highlighted that panhandling is on the rise in Akron.
Downtown Akron Partnership has valuable information that can help you deter panhandling and make sure any resources you donate will go to helping those in need.
Click here to learn more about key provisions of the City of Akron's panhandling ordinance and recommendations on how to deter panhandlers.
Download DAP's Panhandling Brochure for more information about panhandling restrictions, deterrents and a list of social service agencies, non-profits and faith-based organizations that offer immediate aid to those who need a helping hand.
Read Bob Dyer's article below:
Beggars multiply in Akron
By Bob Dyer
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 05:18 p.m. EDT, Oct 12, 2009
If you think you're seeing a lot more beggars on the streets of Akron, you're right.
During the past year, the number of panhandling licenses given out by the city has risen a staggering 170 percent.
Between October 2008 and now, police have issued 164 temporary licenses (good for 10 days) and 101 ''permanent'' ones (good for one year).
And if you think you're seeing a lot more females holding up signs, right again.
During the past year, 41 women have trekked to the third floor of police headquarters on High Street and gotten their official Akron panhandler's badge, complete with photo ID. Although the percentage of females-to-males is roughly the same as a year ago, in raw numbers the presence of women has risen 141 percent.
The driving force behind the surge is, no doubt, the sour economy. The unemployment rate for the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area (Summit and Portage counties) is an eye-opening 10.2 percent. That's a jump of nearly 60 percent from a year ago — and almost double the rate of two years ago.
However, as we reported last year, a lot of the folks you see standing around with their hands out are neither homeless nor hungry. Many have turned begging into a business.
About 10 percent of the people on Akron's streets don't even live in the city. They bus in, put in their hours and bus home with their cash.
How can you tell who really needs a handout and who doesn't? That's the problem. You can't. So if you really want to help the needy, your odds of getting money to the right people are astronomically higher if you donate to an agency such as the Haven of Rest, the Salvation Army or Access Inc.
Or, if you find yourself in downtown Akron with some change jangling around in your pocket, feed it to one of two parking meters that have been converted to donation drops. Money from the green meter inside Lock 3 Park is sent to the Haven of Rest, and money from the red meter at Cascade Plaza is funneled to the Salvation Army. The city says it collects about $20 a month from each.
Municipalities can't outlaw begging because the courts have consistently ruled it is a form of free speech. But cities are permitted to regulate it, and when Akron took legislative action three years ago, officials pushed the regulations to the legal limit.
The licenses are free but come with a slew of restrictions. Among them: Beggars must stay at least 20 feet away from banks, bus stops, ATMs, sidewalk cafes, schools, churches, Canal Park stadium, Akron Civic Theatre, Lock 3 Park and the Akron Art Museum.
If you're thinking about registering as a panhandler, be forewarned: It's tougher than it looks. Of the folks who take out a temporary license, 62 percent do not follow through and get their permanent license.
Too much like work, apparently.
Bob Dyer can be reached at 330-996-3580 or bdyer@thebeaconjournal.com.
