Description
Wwww.hamden.com/291/Constituent-Services-Center
hen will the panhandlers (2 men and a woman) that work the Mart and S & S parking lots be driven out of town? They take shifts, they arrive by car, they don't want food, cash only. I have been told they are not homeless. What can be done???
20 Comments
Hamden, CT (Verified Official)
tripst3r (Registered User)
Ellen Endriss (Registered User)
tripst3r (Registered User)
Ellen Endriss (Registered User)
Tommy (Registered User)
Hi Ellen,
Panhandling is not illegal and neither is being homeless. It's also not illegal for you to wish to banish those people, but legally, there is nothing anyone can do. The police can't do anything because there are no laws being violated. Social Services can't do anything because they have no authority to do so. Homeless people can't be rounded up and carted away to a shelter. That's not how the laws in our country work. And it doesn't matter how many other people share your frustration.
Please take a moment and try to put this into perspective. Imagine if, for whatever reason, other people didn't like you and wanted you removed from the community. How would you feel, especially if you weren't breaking any laws?
Ellen Endriss (Registered User)
wendy (Registered User)
Tommy (Registered User)
I'm glad you brought up the subject of loitering. I've done quite a bit of research on this subject. Loitering is not a crime. Many people believe loitering is a crime because we've all seen "No Loitering" signs since we were children, and we've seen "No Loitering" enforced without anyone challenging that authority. Legally, "No Loitering" can only be enforced on private property.
If that weren't the case, everyone who chooses to stand outside somewhere on public property without a specific purpose would be guilty of loitering. Even if "No Loitering" were enforced, it would have to be followed by everyone, not only homeless people. Any and all laws that exist must uniformly apply to everyone, other than laws which govern alcohol, tobacco, firearms and other laws which are age specific.
There have been some towns that have tried to enact "No Loitering" ordinances; however, they are all repealed as soon as someone challenges those ordinances as being unconstitutional quite simply because they ๐๐ง๐ unconstitutional.
I've also spent a lot of time studying the COVID-19 Executive Orders dictated by our governor and mayor. Some of them are enforced with the threat of punitive measures and some of them can only be enforced as strong recommendations.
My recommendation is to keep you car windows up and wear a face mask. If you still feel threatened by the homeless, please call the police.
Ellen Endriss (Registered User)
Tommy (Registered User)
Hi Ellen,
Yes, please do your best to follow through. If you need any assistance, please let me know. I've been trying to help the homeless for several years, but we could always use more help. If you're interested in any volunteer activities from which the homeless can benefit, please let me know. Together, we can make our world a better place.
Ellen Endriss (Registered User)
wendy (Registered User)
Tommy (Registered User)
tripst3r (Registered User)
Ellen Endriss (Registered User)
Tommy (Registered User)
Hi Ellen,
This is a publicly monitored site and there are many people who have seen your posted comments. The lack of responses is because nobody wants to be included with your crude remarks. You're on the Clean & Green Commission, right? We can see you posted the following comments on the issue of homelessness in our town:
"...๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐จ (2 ๐ข๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ) ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ & ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ฉ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ฃ ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฌ๐ฃ?"
"...๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ ๐จ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ง."
"...๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ'๐ฉ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐ช๐๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ช๐ฃ๐๐๐จ๐๐ง๐ซ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ฉ, ๐๐ค๐ฉ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก. ๐ ๐๐ข ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง๐. ๐พ๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐๐ญ๐๐ค๐ค๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐จ๐ฉ."
"...๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ง๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐ก๐๐ข."
You're not doing anything to help solve the problem of homelessness. You're just trying to push the problem somewhere else. How would you feel if someone tried to push you out of town when you've done nothing illegal? We need to help the homeless, not push them away.
tripst3r (Registered User)
Mike M (Registered User)
Closed Administrative Secretary (Verified Official)
Thank you all for your patience while we work to address your concerns.
The Town of Hamdenโs Police Department, Community Development Department, along with Cornell Scott Hill Health Center Homeless Healthcare team are working together to aid and assist with the increase of homelessness and panhandling in the Town of Hamden. For more information please visit;
http://hamden.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=213
Also please refer to Bill No. 896 regarding โAN ACT CONCERNING A HOMELESS PERSON'S BILL OF RIGHTSโ
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2013/TOB/s/pdf/2013SB-00896-R00-SB.pdf
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2013/TOB/S/2013SB-00896-R00-SB.htm