What Is Mayor Miller's Stance On Panhandling

To date he has been extremely reluctant to tell police to enforce the existing bylaws and possibly like Charles Dickens he finds pick-pockets, prostitutes, drunks and beggars part of the colourfulmultitude. My experience over the last couple of years has been that "panhandling" has become a cottage industry and is not restricted to downtown/tourist areas. It is a city wide problem and is growing each day and while it is not where I want to see law & order $$$$ spent you have to start by fixing the broken windows.

Police chief warms to tourist-area begging ban
January 24, 2007
Donovan Vincent
Staff reporter

A Toronto councillor has earned a powerful ally in his fight for a ban on panhandling in the city's tourist areas.

Councillor Case Ootes discussed the ban when he met with Toronto police Chief Bill Blair at police headquarters Monday, and the police service will bring forward a report on the subject in coming weeks.

"He (Blair) believes it's time to see what the options are," said Mark Pugash, a spokesperson for the Toronto police service.

"We'll be putting forward a report," Pugash said, adding Blair would want mechanisms in place to provide alternatives for panhandlers who don't have shelter.

Ootes (Ward 29, Toronto-Danforth), a member of the economic development committee, has asked city staff to report to the committee Feb. 21 on how the city, working with police, can implement and enforce a bylaw banning panhandling in tourist areas like Yonge and Dundas Sts.

His request for the report goes before the committee today.

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