Panhandlers at intersections in Prince George’s County may soon be forced to cross county lines if legislation being drafted makes it through Maryland’s General Assembly.
A similar bill was passed last year for Anne Arundel County, and many believe the panhandlers from Anne Arundel simply moved to a new plot across the border in Prince George’s. Maryland law doesn’t allow counties to pass these kinds of bans themselves and requires individual bills for counties at the state legislature.
The sponsor of the Prince George’s bill, Sen. Jim Rosapepe, a Democrat whose district covers both counties, cited safety as his primary concern.
“It’s obviously dangerous to be in the middle of the street; it’s obviously not a solution to long-term problems, and panhandling is not consistent with a high quality of life,” he said.
Most of the problems have occurred in the Laurel area and in College Park near the intersection of Route 1 and Interstate 495, Rosapepe said. When the Anne Arundel bill passed, police in the county distributed pamphlets to the panhandlers listing agencies where they could find shelter and services.
A 2007 report by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments found 11,762 homeless people in the D.C. metropolitan area. Of those, 1,168, or about 10 percent, are in Prince George’s County.
Advocates for the homeless stop short of promoting panhandling but express disdain for the level of funding provided to help people with housing and mental illness issues.
The Rev. Sherita Moon Seawright, executive director of Bethel House Inc., says her organization has kept 839 people in their homes in 2007 by providing rental and eviction assistance. But for those on the street, she said panhandling might be the only choice.
“I don’t condone panhandling or promote it, but that’s how some people survive, and the county should do more so people don’t have to panhandle,” Seawright said.
Rosapepe said there’s no talk in the legislature about a statewide ban on panhandling, referring to it as a county-option issue. He said the bill would be supported by all four members of the local delegation.
