Aggressive panhandling law proposed in Cheektowaga
CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) — A proposed law in the town of Cheektowaga aims to curb what officials describe as “aggressive panhandling.”
The proposed legislation aims to restrict areas where panhandling is permitted, specifically targeting individuals who solicit money in a threatening, intimidating, or harassing manner, including behaviors such as touching, following, or threatening an individual.
Under the proposed legislation, solicitation would be prohibited within 50 feet of ATMs, banks, check-cashing businesses, bus stops, and public transit areas. Individuals on sidewalks or streets will no longer be permitted to solicit cash from drivers.
“To me, this isn’t about, getting necessarily the police involved. This is about getting the right agencies involved,” said Jasinski.
If enacted, it would align with similar ordinances in other local municipalities. The legislation, introduced last month by Republican board members Michael Jasinski and Vernon Thompson, is a response to a rise in complaints from residents about aggressive begging.
“No one should be able to come up and approach you and try to get money from you in an aggressive way to grab on to you, to try and convince you to give some of your hard-earned money to them,” said Captain Jeffrey Schimdt of Cheektowaga Police.
Captain Schmidt said that the objective is not to incarcerate individuals but rather to provide them with the necessary assistance.
“We have a behavioral team inside of the department with a clinician. We partner with Endeavor Health to directly link these individuals with services. So, we’re not just trying to arrest our way out of a problem. It’s going to allow us to help also keep our community safe at the same time,” Schmidt said.
The law stipulates that individuals caught will be fined between $25 to $250, with a second offense potentially resulting in up to 15 days in jail. Jasinski notes that with the decline in in-person shopping, the presence of beggars deterring customers is detrimental, and this law aims to support businesses.
“They might feel intimidated. In fact, they have been intimidated. They’ve brought it to my attention. Senior citizens go in a store and somebody presses them some money. You know, it makes them nervous,” said Jasinski.
If the law is passed, Cheektowaga will join Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Grand Island, and others in the region with similar laws.
“This was not designed to prohibit people from, you know, having a car wash or from firefighters having a boot drive. It isn’t designed to arrest anyone who is in a place in their life where they have to feel that they need to beg in order to support themselves or their families. It’s designed to just make sure that if they are doing that, that they’re doing so in a respectful manner that allows for safety for all persons,” said Schmidt.
Currently, the law is under consideration but not yet in effect. It will be revisited at the upcoming town board meeting scheduled for Sept. 24.
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Dillon Morello is a reporter from Pittsburgh who has been part of the News 4 team since September of 2023. See more of his work here and follow him on Twitter.
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