BECKLEY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Beckley City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to install “Say No to Panhandling” signs at city intersections and ban panhandling at intersections deemed unsafe.
Beckley City Manager Phillip Jarrell presented one of the signs at the meeting Tuesday night, to applause.
“[These signs] will go up in different areas, we’re gonna prohibit some intersections totally from being panhandled,” Jarrell said.
The exact text on the signs will read: “Say No to Panhandling – Contribute to the Solution – Call 211 to Help”
“If you want to help panhandling, instead of reaching out of your car and handing people cash, you can call 211 which is the United Way,” Jarrell explained. “[The United Way] will donate to other organizations such as the Salvation Army to feed the homeless.”
By calling 211, residents can explain that they are calling after seeing one of the panhandling signs and the money they donate will go to resources in Beckley.
Beckley Mayor Ryan Neal stated that he confirmed with the United Way that all donations made from calling 211 from the signs will stay within city limits.
“If you see these signs and you call 211, that money is guaranteed to go to food pantries in city limits including the Salvation Army,” Neal said.
It’s currently unclear where all the exact locations signs will be placed along with the intersections where panhandling will be banned due to safety concerns.
The city is also working on an ordinance to mandate paid permits for panhandling on city-owned sidewalks and right-of-way following a similar move by the Raleigh County Commission.
