Asheville City Council is preparing to vote on a proposal that would restrict panhandling along many of the city’s commercial corridors.
The Asheville Police Department and City Manager Debra Campbell have said the update to city ordinances would improve safety for pedestrians and drivers, as well as give officials another tool for dealing with the impacts of homelessness. But many community members are worried the changes could criminalize people in poverty instead of providing the help they need.
APD Deputy Chief Sean Aardema shared the details of the proposal during a July 31 meeting of Council’s Public Safety Committee, during which Vice Mayor Antanette Mosley and Council members Bo Hess and Sheneika Smith unanimously recommended the plan for a full Council vote. Its language would add to the city’s existing “high traffic zone,” areas where begging “by use of gestures or spoken words” is prohibited. (Solicitation using signs is allowed anywhere in the city, with minor exceptions.)…