During the Eugene City Council’s work session on Sept. 17, Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner proposed an ordinance that would prohibit drivers from giving money and other items to panhandlers from inside their vehicles.
The ordinance was proposed by Chief Skinner as an educational opportunity, only giving out citations to drivers. A similar ordinance has been in place since 2016 in Springfield, and was previously considered by the Eugene City Council in 2019.
“What they’ve seen in Springfield is the ability to have a really good community campaign and education,” Skinner said during the work session. “In the instances that the officer sees the violation, we’re able to change behavior with a simple conversation.”…