Yuba City Considering Ordinance To Crackdown On Aggressive Panhandlers
/ CBS Sacramento
YUBA CITY (CBS13) — Yuba City city leaders say aggressive panhandling has become so problematic, that neighbors and businesses are starting to complain
The city is preparing to crackdown on panhandlers, and for a possible legal pushback.
Cynthia Paine says aggressive panhandlers have become a problem at her business.
"We have people coming by and stopping customers asking for money," she said.
City officials say on Plumas Street, they've had problems, most recently with a woman in a wheelchair chasing people down the street asking people for money.
Business owners we spoke to are glad the city is planning to get an ordinance in place to address the issue.
"For some reason or another panhandlers have gotten very aggressive and for us to send police or code enforcement we need something in place," said Mayor Kash Gill.
The city is looking at the way other cities and counties across Northern California to see how they handle the homeless.
But some are against the plans to push out panhandlers.
A homeless group just filed a lawsuit against Sacramento County, saying tough new ordinances banning panhandlers from public places violates the Constitution.
"I don't mean to demonize homeless people or vagrants, but when they see their rights as being more important than a normal consumer, taxpayer going to have dinner there's a problem," said Happy Viking owner Joe Federico.
Yuba City officials say they aren't looking to trample anyone's rights, but argue panhandlers often hang out in dangerous situations that affect everyone.
The city is currently drafting the ordinance and will send it to the City Council in the next couple of weeks.
We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.