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August 10, 2007
Can You Spare A Change?INC Campaign to Curb Panhandling
The InterNeighborhood Council of Durham (INC) is mounting a campaign to eliminate panhandling called “Can You Spare a Change?”, a take-off on a common appeal from panhandlers. Rather than prohibiting panhandling, it seeks to educate residents and visitors not to feed the practice.
Panhandling is a serious issue because it contributes to what social scientists have identified as a factor that leads to serious crime. But while practices like panhandling and loitering may not be serious crime, they create what social scientists describe as a “sense of lawlessness” or that “no one’s in charge” and provide a screen behind which serious crimes can thrive. It also makes the roadways less safe. The INC approach is based on serious evidence that if people stop encouraging panhandling by giving small change and even several dollars to panhandlers, the criminal element in panhandling will go elsewhere and those with substance abuse problems will go into the many treatment and homeless assistance programs. The approach is also based on evidence that people who give change to panhandlers want to help, but don’t understand there are much better alternatives or that feeding the practice perpetuates it rather than solves the problem. For more details about the program contact INC at Change@InterNeighborhoodCouncil.org.
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