SAN ANTONIO – New anti-panhandling signs are showing up on the Northwest Side to deter drivers from the practice.
District 8 Councilman Manny Palaez purchased the signs with funds from the City of San Antonio’s ‘Neighborhood Access Mobility Program,’ according to the San Antonio Report.
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The signs, located across busy areas of Interstate 10 say, “It’s OK to say NO for your safety and theirs” and “Please give to local charities that help those in need.”
This is not the first time Councilman Palaez has encouraged drivers to refrain from handing out cash to panhandlers.
In 2019, he spearheaded the city’s “Change the Way We Give” campaign, which allows donors to submit money through an online application rather than donating directly on the streets.
Palaez suggests that panhandling contributes to addictions. He says panhandlers could impact the community more positively by redirecting their compassion toward non-profits that help people experiencing homelessness, like Haven for Hope.
The San Antonio Police Department proposed banning panhandling in 2014, to ban it altogether in certain areas, but that did not happen.
The ban would’ve made panhandling a Class-C misdemeanor.
According to the city, it is illegal to panhandle within 50 feet of ATMs, banks, check cashing businesses, marked crosswalks, restaurant entrances and exits, bus stops, and more areas.