Anti-Panhandling Ordinance

Most panhandlers in Evanston are struggling with substance abuse and are not homeless

 Evanston's Anti-Panhandling Strategy & Ordinance printable brochure

The City of Evanston Police Department (EPD), in cooperation with EvMark (Evanston's downtown marketing association) and the Evanston Chamber of Commerce, has embarked on an anti-panhandling campaign with a twist.

"We're not saying 'don't give;' we're saying give to the organizations that can help these people," Chief of Police Frank Kaminski said.

The three organizations have launched the campaign featuring colorful posters that will be displayed in the windows of hundreds of Evanston businesses with the reminder, "Please find another way to give," and subhead, "Most panhandlers in Evanston are struggling with substance abuse and are not homeless."

"People give to panhandlers because it makes them feel like they're helping someone in need," Chief Kaminski said.

"Instead, donations given directly to these individuals promote substance abuse and encourage panhandling," he said. Chief Kaminski encourages community members and visitors to give their spare change and stray bills to shelters, soup kitchens, and other social service organizations that provide resources to people in need. The posters advertise the phone numbers of the EPD, the Evanston Chamber of Commerce and EvMark where individuals can call to learn alternatives for making monetary donations in Evanston.

"With all of the new growth in Evanston and people moving into the community, it's important to continue this educational process," commented Jonathan Perman, executive director of the Evanston Chamber of Commerce."We don't feel we have a panhandling problem," Perman said. "To keep it that way, we need to be proactive instead of reactive," he said.

"Evanston's growing downtown continues to attract more visitors, which can attract more panhandlers," said Diane Williams, executive director of EvMark."The posters will be obviously placed and serve as a reminder to our visitors as to where their money can be better spent," Williams continued.

The City of Evanston identified a panhandling problem in 1996 and passed an ordinance against aggressive panhandling in 2001. "There are really only a handful of problematic panhandlers in this community," Chief Kaminski said. "Let's not enable them."

"If we all work together, we can dry up the source," he said.