Montgomery County officials are asking the state for permission to ban soliciting without a permit on road medians, which have become a haven for the homeless and charity seekers alike. At the request of County Executive Ike Leggett, Montgomery County state lawmakers plan to introduce a bill this session to allow the county to require permits for those who want to ask drivers for money. If approved, a system could come into effect as early as the fall. “It not only causes problem in terms of safety with people dashing into the street, but obviously to many people it’s a quality of life concern,” Leggett spokesman Patrick Lacefield said.
He said Leggett receives complaints every week about solicitation on the roads.
“What we’re finding is that it’s basically gotten wholly out of hand,” he said.
Seven Maryland counties, including Prince George’s and Washington, have a ban, while two have a permit system.
Montgomery County Councilman George Leventhal, who worked for a year on a task force to study the issue of roadside solicitation, said Leggett endorsed the bill but left out many important aspects of a wider plan, such as education and easier access to services for the homeless, included in the task force’s recommendations.
“People begging by the side of the road is one problem, but addressing the needs of people in poverty is another,” he said. “The legislation may address the first problem, it doesn’t do anything about the second problem.”
Lacefield said he is especially concerned about Rockville Pike and Route 29, where solicitors flock.
The county controls roadside sales through vendor licences, but charitable solicitation is a different concern. Lacefield said the decline in the economy has made homelessness a bigger issue.
A similar bill, which aimed to ban noncharitable solicitation using three-day permits, failed in 2009 because of questions on the constitutionality of limiting who could ask for money.
Maryland law prohibits solicitors from leaving the median, but the restrictive nature of that law can make enforcement a challenge, police say.
“Obviously, if a police car shows up and they know they can’t get off the median, they’re probably not going to move,” Montgomery County police officer Howard Hersh said.
