QUESTION OF THE DAY: Wilmington Panhandlers — To Give Or Not To Give?

Here is Wilmington Apple’s Question of the Day for July 6: Have you seen a panhandler in the Wilmington Plaza area? If so, how did you react and why?  

• There appears to have been an uptick in panhandler sightings reported in Wilmington Facebook groups over the past several months (example).
• There’s also been several mentions of panhandlers in Wilmington Police Logs over the past few months (example).
• A Wilmington Apple reader saw panhandlers in front of Wilmington Plaza yesterday and asked me to urge readers not to give so they’ll go away. Is that the right approach?
• Wilmington Police Chief Michael Begonis tells Wilmington Apple, “This is a very controversial issue and is being played out is the courts as we speak. There is a first amendment protection and our solicitation by-laws do not cover this activity. As long as the individuals are not causing a safety issue or harassing residents, there is little we can do at this time.”

Let Wilmington know via the Wilmington Apple Facebook page, via the Wilmington Apple Twitter page, in the comments section below, or via email at wilmingtonapple@gmail.com. Any responses may be used in a future article.