Today I attended the Center City Commission monthly board meeting, for which one of the agenda items was to vote on funding for a 3-month private security patrol to deter panhandling. As I entered the building, TV stations were interviewing people affiliated with the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center and members of the homeless community who were protesting. As the meeting started, the protestors came inside, as is their right to do at a public meeting.
Community members on both sides of the issue were given the opportunity to voice their opinions. Jacob Flowers, head of the MSPJC, expressed his opposition to the security patrol due to concerns that area homeless would be harassed. Then Mike King, co-founder of the Handling-Panhandling forum, shared his experiences and frustrations as a Downtown resident who is panhandled aggressively on a near daily basis. After many questions from CCC board members, the vote was taken and the funding for the security patrol was approved.
Some notes I took at the meeting:
– The pilot program will run from April 1 to June 30. After that, the data that has been gathered will be studied to determine if security patrols would be helpful on a long-term basis to curb aggressive panhandling.
– The cost of the 3-month program will be $53,340. That was not the lowest bid, but the bid was given to security firm CDA because they are 100% minority-owned and because they provide 2 to 3 times as much training to their security people as does Brownard, who submitted the lowest bid.
– In addition to the 30+ hours of training provided by CDA, the Shelby County Sheriff’s Department will provide 24 hours of additional training.
– The recommendation made by the CCC’s safety committee is that security be unarmed. The cost quoted above is for unarmed security people, and would be substantially higher if they were armed. “Armed” means carrying a firearm. The security people are licensed to carry batons, pepper spray, and tasers, and the committee is studying whether it would be appropriate for them to carry any of those. (My personal feeling, not expressed in the meeting, is NO.)
– The money to fund the security patrol does not come from taxpayer dollars. Rather, it comes from the CCC budget, assessed from Downtown businesses. If the patrol proves successful and the decision is made to continue beyond the 3-month pilot, the CCC may consider pursuing private funding.
– Security company is required to have liability insurance in the amount of $1 million per incident, $5 million aggregate.
– There will be 2 security shifts per day, with 2 security people working each, from 8 AM to 9 PM Sunday-Thursday and 8 AM to 11 PM Friday-Saturday.
– During the pilot, security will focus on the Main Street Mall between Adams and Beale. (Although, I intend to have a talk with the CCC about this; south of Monroe, panhandling is a much bigger problem on Second than Main.)
– The intent is for security to act as a deterrent more than a means of enforcement. Similar programs have been operated in other cities (Sundance Square in Fort Worth was mentioned) and generally, the mere presence of security was enough to shoo panhandlers from the area. It was stressed that these will be security personnel, not officers.
– A story was told of a reporter who went undercover last week and panhandled in Court Square. He was approached by a panhandler who told him, “Hey, you’re in my territory.” The undercover reporter got to talking to the panhandler, and he revealed that he lives in the Exchange Building and receives a monthly disability check from the government. He panhandles to supplement his income.
So it looks like the patrols will start April 1. Although I was on the opposite side of the issue than the MSPJC, I do understand their concerns and hope to open a productive dialogue with Mr. Flowers (who I just approved for membership on the Handling-Panhandling list). I will keep an eye on the situation, and if I witness harassment of the homeless by the security patrols, you better believe it’s gonna be reported on this blog. Hopefully, though, they’ll deliver as promised and rid Downtown of some of its most aggressive, obnoxious panhandlers, improving the quality of life for all the rest of us Downtown, homeless included.