Councilors Meet, Discuss Increase In Tulsa Panhandlers

Tulsa city councilors are trying to figure out how to stop aggressive panhandlers. At least on city councilor is asking the city attorney to look at issuing permits.

Thursday, October 16th 2014, 7:22 pm

By: News On 6


Tulsa city councilors are trying to figure out how to stop aggressive panhandlers. Muskogee offers free licenses to help regulate panhandling, and at least one Tulsa city councilor is asking the city attorney to look at doing the same.

The city attorney said panhandling - or begging - is free speech and protected by the first amendment, which makes ordinances hard to enforce.

Tulsa City councilor G.T. Bynum wants the city to address the growing problem. The council discussed requiring panhandlers to get city issue permits.


"This is a free country, so I need a license to panhandle? No,” Randall protested.

He would in the city of Muskogee. Muskogee issues $149 tickets to people who panhandle without being registered; but it doesn't keep people from begging.

"The headline of this Channel 6 report is that Muskogee sees rise in panhandlers by issuing panhandlers permit," said Tulsa City Attorney David O'Meilia.

9/9/2014 Related Story: Muskogee Sees Rise In Panhandlers By Issuing 'Panhandle Permits'

Councilors agreed what works in Muskogee may not be good for Tulsa.

"I don't think it's dignified to make someone wear an orange vest and register to stand on a corner, identifying themselves very obviously as a needy person," said Councilor Blake Ewing.

The councilors didn't agree on how to meet the need and stop people like Randall from begging on the street.

Councilor Jack Henderson said, "If everybody in Tulsa said ‘no money out of my pocket, period,' you think panhandlers would be around here? We wouldn't have as much problems as we do now."

O'Meilia pointed out panhandling ordinances have come under fire from the ACLU. Laws prohibiting panhandling in Bloomington, Delaware and Las Vegas were found unconstitutional.

Randall said the answer to panhandling should be compassion, not prohibition.

"I know what it is like to live and make $1,000 dollars a week, and I know what it's like to have barely a penny in my pocket, barely," he said.

The city attorney is going to draft a new ordinance based on best practices from cities around the country and will report to the council on it in 90 days.
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