This is part of a series on panhandling in Ann Arbor, exploring both the bigger picture issues of homelessness downtown and the concerns of residents, businesses and panhandlers themselves.
ANN ARBOR, MI — Concerns about the state of downtown Ann Arbor reached a boiling point last September, causing a group of hundreds of businesses and property owners to draft a lengthy letter to city leaders demanding urgent action.
A group calling itself the Ann Arbor Business Coalition expressed concerns crime was on the rise, homeless people were threatening and assaulting people and too many incidents reported to police were going unresolved…