Seattle panhandlers could be city security, janitors

Ross and Burbank and the show listeners have some ideas on how to handle Seattle’s panhandlers. (AP)

Seattle businesses and the Convention and Visitors Bureau are asking the mayor and the city to do something about out-of-control panhandling.

Luke Burbank says he’s observed panhandlers in popular tourist spots like Victor Steinbrueck Park near Pike Place Market.

“Think about Pike Place Market and how central Pike Place Market is to the tourist economy in Seattle. It’s where everybody goes and right there is a park that has more indigents and more people who are absolutely at the furthest margin of society than just about anywhere else in Seattle and yet it’s right there in Pike Place Market.”

Burbank says he thinks most major cities would figure out a way to get panhandlers away from their major attractions.

But listener Kody in Bellevue says if you move them out of these public spaces, they may move somewhere worse.

Hey guys about the panhandlers in Seattle, I don’t believe that they should be there but if they enforce a policy to ban panhandlers they will move to other places outside the city center in alley ways and hiding spots. I feel like people might get mugged more because it’s less public.

Dave Ross says he thinks the panhandlers on the street could actually be a crime deterrent.

“My solution is give them some sort of official badge and vests and have them be security people. Give them little iPhones so they can record crimes. We certainly have ample evidence that panhandlers will, or homeless who happen to be on the street, will help somebody who has been attacked.”

Luke says that idea would work for some panhandlers, but for others it might not take.

“There’s such a huge spectrum of the kinds of people who are panhandlers and homeless who are out on the street. Some of them are just people who are down on their luck, you could absolutely talk to them, you could absolutely give them a responsibility and they would probably do a great job,” says Luke. “But then there are also people who are rapidly cycling psychotics and drug abusers. People you could never give an iPhone to because they would pawn it immediately.”

Listener Teri in SeaTac says another service panhandlers could provide is cleaning up the city.

Over the years one of my daughters has been near homeless, lived in a tent for a year at one time. I would give her care packages, never money. If I will not give my own daughter money I sure as heck will not give a beggar money.

What might change that, if the homeless person cleaned the street, picked up garbage or swept sidewalks, then maybe. A sign on his/her back saying, this is what I can do, donations welcome. That might get me to give money. No promises on that either.

What do you think of panhandlers as city security, janitors?

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor