710 KEEL
Some stunning information has been revealed about panhandlers in the Shreveport area.
Downtown Development Authority Director Cedric Glover tells KEEL News many of these folks are involved in money making operations and are not down on their luck at all. Glover says some of these beggars get very aggressive in downtown Shreveport and it’s become quite a problem for folks who own businesses and for patrons. Often you will get harassed by these people while trying to go to a local spot.
Glover says he’s working to deal with the many challenges in downtown and this is one of them. He says this is one of those things that “we always end up tolerating that we should not.”
He says Christa Hawkins with Hope Connections has done a detailed survey on these panhandlers to find out what services they need. And the information she found was stunning.
Her team identified 37 individuals who were panhandling around downtown. And they discovered only two of them were actually homeless. Glover says “the reality is much of the panhandling that is done here is a criminal enterprise. You have folks who are basically being trafficked to do panhandling.” He says this is a money-making operation for these groups.
He says we have an ordinance in place making panhandling illegal, but it is hard to enforce.
Glover urges resident to stop giving these folks money. Many of them are involved in organized rings of panhandlers that move around to the most profitable communities.
Glover does applaud Shreveport police efforts to find better and more effective ways to deal with the people who are homeless and living in the downtown area. He says the officers are now trained to let these folks know about the services available to them and they will often help connect them with the agencies who can provide assistance.
But experts will tell you many of these folks are dealing with so many problems ranging from mental health struggles to addictions. Often they don’t want to reach out for help.
Glover is excited to see lots of folks sitting around the table and sharing their common challenges to find ways to make our downtown more viable.