Panhandling Regional Town Hall August 17^th

In Fairfax County, Prince William and regionally, it has become commonplace to see one or more people panhandling in medians or walking between turn lanes. On August 17^th at 7pm, Prince William Supervisor Jeannine Lawson and I invite you to join us at our regional town hall, “What Should Northern Virginia Be Doing About Panhandling,” where we will discuss services, solutions for improved public safety, and solicit feedback from residents. We will host the town hall virtually on Channel 16 with streaming available on Facebook Live. More details to come on how you can call in and watch or participate.

Since 2017 I have worked to enhance the services that the County provides for those in need and to present solutions to address public safety concerns around panhandling in roadways. Here is a quick look at this issue since 2017:

2017 – The Board approved my proposal to consider a work program modeled after “There’s a Better Way” in Albuquerque, NM that provided jobs for people experiencing homelessness, connected them with services and moved them into employment. This would be in addition to the vast array of services the county already offers.

2019 – Fairfax County Stormwater in partnership with local shelters implemented the program I proposed in 2017 by developing Operation Stream Shield, a work program for people experiencing homelessness. This program gives participants the opportunity to get paid to remove invasive plants and litter from our streams, providing participants with the dignity of work, connections to services and opportunities for full time employment with local businesses.

2019 – Former Supervisor Cook and I introduced a proposal to consider a curb-to-curb safety ordinance to prohibit solicitation in medians, a sign program discouraging giving to panhandlers at identified intersections, and a public awareness campaign to educate the community on resources available to those in need. The prior Board unanimously approved this proposal. 

2020 – The current Board took office. Meanwhile, the work on the 2019 proposals continued, as the Fairfax County Department of Transportation and the Fairfax County Police Department identified a list of intersections for 25 signs discouraging panhandling throughout the county. County staff also drafted language for the sign program and shared examples with the Board. Then the pandemic hit, delaying many county efforts including this one.

2022 – Efforts to look at a draft ordinance, sign program, and public education campaign were at a standstill despite my advocacy, so I reintroduced a proposal for the Board to reaffirm its commitment to dealing with this important public safety issue. The Board only supported part of my proposal which was to launch a public education campaign. Instead, the Board supported a separate motion by my colleague to take us back to square one, having staff look at whether panhandling is a public safety hazard. In a report back to the Board, the FCPD stated that it did not collect data on panhandling and was “unable to find a significant public safety risk related to or stemming from panhandling” despite the fact that it “appears dangerous and generates considerable public complaint.”

The FCPD now collects data on panhandling-related incidents and the County’s Office of Public Affairs recently launched a public education campaign on panhandling, but no other efforts have moved forward to address this public safety issue. For more details on my efforts to address panhandling, see my newsletters from October 2022, September 2022, May 2022, and September 2019.

I hope you will mark your calendar and join me and Supervisor Lawson at our virtual town hall on August 17^th at 7pm to discuss this important issue and possible solutions. More information on how to participate will be published shortly.

Wednesday, August 9, 2023

The Road Ducks

Wednesday, August 16, 2023

The Colin Thompson Band

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Riptide

If you'd like to meet Sandy, visit here for more information.