EVANSTON (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — So-called "aggressive panhandling" is a constant complaint, according to one Evanston alderperson, who argued that police need all the tools they can get to combat it during the Evanston's July City Council meeting Monday.
The council was debating a proposal from Ald. Devon Reid, which aimed to legalize possession of marijuana or open alcohol in public places.
As an example, he said someone might have a half-finished bottle of wine after attending a party. Or they might have legally bought marijiuana and stopped to pay their water bill.
In both cases, Reid said, they would be committing a crime.
Evanston Police Chief Richard Eddington said changing the law would remove a tool that officers use to enforce Evanston's ordinance dealing with aggressive panhandling.
"The panhandler may be a little under the weather from having successfully panhandled earlier and investing some of those earnings in alcoholic beverages," Eddington said. "It's a tool we can apply in some specific situations."
Ald. Melissa Wynne argued against the proposal.
"I would like to take the chief's advice on this," Wynne said. "Maybe not everyone has aggressive panhandling in their ward, [but] I get almost daily complaints about aggressive panhandling."
The council rejected the proposal.
Evanston has a ban on aggressive panhandling, which includes asking someone for money near an ATM or repeatedly asking for money after a person declines.
Eddington also said aggressive panhandling is rarely enforced because people are reluctant to file complaints.
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