Police, community try to help panhandlers
Photo 
Archie Williams
JANESVILLE — Archie Williams had one word to describe what it's like to ask strangers for money:
"Humiliating."
But at the time, he felt he had no choice. He was homeless and jobless in Chicago, estranged from his family with nowhere to go. He felt like no one cared about him.
"I had to figure out a way to live, and I figured instead of robbing people, I'd ask them," he said.
Williams, 40, has been in Janesville about a year, and he no longer panhandles, he said. Last week, he was staying at GIFTS men's shelter, a homeless shelter that rotates among Janesville churches.
But Janesville police see one or two cases a week of people asking for money, either verbally or by holding up signs, Sgt. Chad Pearson said.
"In most cases, we just move them along," Pearson said.
It's impossible to know how many panhandlers are in the Janesville area at any given time, Janesville Police Chief Dave Moore said. There's no local ordinance against panhandling or loitering.
Police typically get involved if panhandlers are obstructing vehicle or pedestrian traffic, he said.
An obscure state "vagrancy" statute prohibits begging, but the department doesn't enforce the statute, especially during the recession when so many people can't find jobs, Moore said.
But the department does try to make sure panhandlers aren't having a physical or mental health crisis, Pearson said. Officers try to find them a place to stay and offer food, motel and transportation vouchers.
"In some cases, we've encountered people that want to be left alone," he said. "They choose their lifestyle."
Almost all of the panhandlers the department has dealt with are men, and more often than not, they're from Rock County, Pearson said. Many have mental health or substance abuse problems.
Pearson hasn't noticed an increase in panhandling during the recession, he said. One reason might be the GIFTS shelter, which opened Christmas Eve 2007.
"The biggest help that we've gained is the development by our Christian community to open up the men's shelter, which has been just unbelievably helpful to us," Pearson said.
The shelter has helped Williams improve his outlook, even though his financial situation remains grim, he said. In fact, the shelter was the main reason the Watertown native came to Janesville last year, he said.
Still, he worries about his future.
"Ain't no jobs out here," he said. "What are we supposed to do?"
How to handle requests for handouts
Maybe someone approaches you downtown asking for money to buy a sandwich.
Or you see someone on Milton Avenue with a sign that says "Will work for food."
What do you do? Here's some advice from local experts:
-- Sgt. Chad Pearson, Janesville Police Department
Pearson would never tell someone not to give to people in need, but you have to keep safety in mind, he said.
"A person's charity is a decision that they have to make, warranting that they're comfortable in doing that," he said.
The department deals with a few people who panhandle regularly and spend the money on alcohol, he said. You could offer food instead, he suggested.
Archie Williams, a former panhandler, said he appreciated it when people brought him food because that's what he wanted the money for anyway. But he saw some people who only wanted an easy buck.
"They do it because they know they can get the money even though they don't need it," he said.
Pearson advised against offering shelter or transportation to panhandlers for the same reasons you shouldn't offer a ride or shelter to any stranger.
If you're concerned about the welfare of a homeless person or panhandler, call the police, he said.
-- Marc Perry, Community Action of Rock and Walworth Counties
Perry doesn't advise giving panhandlers cash because you could be opening yourself up to a robbery, he said.
"You don't want to pull out your wallet or pull out a wad of money on the street," he said.
Instead, direct people in need to social service organizations such as Community Action, Salvation Army or ECHO, he said.
He also advocated offering food or clothing if you want to help a person right away.
-- Karen Lisser, ECHO
ECHO counsels its clients to avoid panhandling and advises against giving to panhandlers, Lisser said.
"We don't recommend that people give people money because it really does set you up for being taken advantage of," she said.
If you want to help people in need, donate to organizations such as ECHO, Salvation Army and Community Action, she said. Then if someone asks you for money, tell the person about the organization.
Social service organizations have systems in place to assess all of their clients' needs, she said. They work to help their clients in the short and long term.
If you are approached by a panhandler on a night or weekend, direct that person to police, she said. Officers have vouchers that can be used for food, gas or shelter.
Dec 23, 2009 at 5:50 p.m.
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proartist: You have it right on the historical hobos--I was being a bit generous in this case!
Hey GIFTS, thanks for turning the Hedberg Library into the day shelter for your overnight "clients." I've been down there several times in the past few weeks and that's where most of them are--chatting, sleeping, snoring, swearing, and smelling and generally creeping the other patrons out! Odd, but they certainly don't seem to looking for WORK!
Dec 9, 2009 at 2:54 a.m.
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Our jobs disappear because the employers do not pay us enough to buy the products we make! Now the jobs get done twice as fast, twice as cheap with half the people who will be very lucky to get full time hours, benefits and insurance! If you have a job , your lucky. If you dont have a job and your not homeless thanks to a friend or family member, your lucky. When don't have any one to turn to yes it is great to have a community program to rely on, but there's always limitations and restrictions and there's still nobody fixing the root of the issue.
Dec 8, 2009 at 9:36 p.m.
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"For most of them it's a learned, hobo-reminiscent lifestyle scam..." – Sandman
Historically, the hobo of the Great Depression era was homeless and did wander about - most often as a migratory laborer. However, unlike today's panhandlers, they expected to do tasks and chores to EARN the money charitable people could then provide. In traditional usage, a "hobo" was usually dubbed a homeless person who traveled from place to place as an itinerant vagrant looking for work while "tramps" did not seek out work and instead begged or scavenged.
Dec 8, 2009 at 9:15 p.m.
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Imjustsayin: Why would someone stay at GIFTS if the police will give them a voucher to stay at a motel? Do the police sometimes run out of vouchers?
The short answer is, "Yes".. the JPD does run out of Vouchers. They don't have a endless supply, & the demand is high.
I usually give no more then $5, & i always have it in my hand before I exit the car. There is such a thing as common sense, although I know a lot of Politicians don't think citizens know how to use it anymore, but if my wife is with me, I leave her in the car with the cell, just in-case I mis-judge someone. Sometimes I've seen someone holding up a sign while driving home. I'll pass them by, go home, & usually my wife has supper done, so I'll wrap some up, & take it back to them. I don't get a lot of, "Thank You's", but then again, I don't do it expecting thank yous.. I do it because I remember being there myself 25 or 30 yrs ago, & anyone of us can be there again. Whats the old saying, We're all one paycheck away from being homeless. Well in order for some people to feel compassion for others, they have to experience being homeless, & penny-less.
What I don't like, are the ones standing outside of (say) Walgreen's being aggressive, & trying to bully people out of their money. Now when I see that, I call the Police & would never consider giving them the time of day. I don't know why they seem to pick Walgreen's, but that's where I see them. I also hear from reliable sources that's where crooked people will fill their prescriptions, walk outside then sell those prescriptions. I sure hope thats being addressed.
Dec 8, 2009 at 4:39 p.m.
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Want to stay safe and discourage panhandling? Don't ever give money (or anything) to panhandlers directly--EVER! And don't ever get involved in stopping and chatting or preaching to them or arguing with them. "Will work for food"! Hey, don't we all--that's how the world works, isn't it?!
For most of them it's a learned, hobo-reminiscent lifestyle scam in which they knowingly prey on the charity and pity and goodwill of others, which they will more often than not punctuate with a calculated and scripted guilt-inducing "God bless you" when you fail to produce the booty! Just keep on walking. Like feeding stray cats, it encourages them to stay around and congregate, and you never know when one of them will irrationally bite or scratch out when feeling threatened.
If you want to somehow feel that you are helping with this problem, give to community organizations that DIRECTLY assist the homeless (to the extent that anyone really can--for most of them it's an ingrained behavior that a wealth of real opportunities to improve their condition will never change).
Dec 7, 2009 at 7 p.m.
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What's with all these people coming up here from Chicago? There isn't anything here for them......Why not be homeless like somewhere warm?
Dec 7, 2009 at 8:20 a.m.
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What can you buy, now, thats NOT made in china??.......ALL snowblowers and lawn mowers have engines from china unless its a Briggs & Stratton engine(look for that)...The politicians have BURIED US!!
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**ANOTHER THING**...."Country of origin" laws are being broken regularly now....I often see things in stores that I know are foreign-made and are not labeled so!!
Dec 7, 2009 at 2:54 a.m.
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Everytime you buy something made in China (for example) you are putting an American out of work. You are supporting a Communist, non-employee friendly, future enemy of the nation as well. More panhandlers to come also...
Dec 7, 2009 at 2:51 a.m.
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truth1....you are right on the money. I will add: we are not allowing ourselves to be educated, trained workers anymore. We have allowed both political parties to ruin it all for us as well. Unions and hand-out types have pushed the rich and greedy business owners out (two way street, people). So now we have all these things compiling into an inevitable outcome.
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I was poor growing up, and I have never been given more than what I earned. I have been crapped on often in my life also. But, I will not take part in this entitlement attitude. I believe there are a some people in this country who need the American-way generosity, but not nearly as many as those who are taking from it. I don't know who the truly helpless ones are, but I will continue to think of ways to earn my own! Even though China owns everything now, and I'm afraid of what they will do WHEN they cash it all in; I still believe their is opportunity out there. Many of these 'panhandlers" should go looking for it!
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Don't be too unwilling to show doubt. Trust your gut and show tough-love. Otherwise you enable further problems anyway.
Dec 6, 2009 at 5:54 p.m.
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Perhaps because GIFTS offers more than just a bed to sleep in. They offer dinner, breakfast,and most importantly company. If the person got a motel voucher, they would sit alone in their room. At GIFTS, they get to see other people and socialize a bit before lights out.
Dec 6, 2009 at 5:33 p.m.
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There is going to be more and more and MORE of this since the politicians have allowed all our jobs to go to slave-wage barbarian countries.
Dec 6, 2009 at 5:10 p.m.
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Why would someone stay at GIFTS if the police will give them a voucher to stay at a motel? Do the police sometimes run out of vouchers?
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