City council passes motion to bring forward bylaw addressing aggressive panhandling

Windsor City Hall in Windsor, Ont. on Monday, Feb. 5, 2021. (Rich Garton/CTV Windsor)

Windsor city council passed a motion to bring forward a bylaw to deal with aggressive panhandling in the city.

The motion, brought forward by Ward 1 Coun. Fred Francis, was passed during Monday night’s council meeting and aims to establish a bylaw to reduce intimidating and dangerous panhandling.

Francis says council will look at other jurisdictions to see how they enforce it.

Peaceful panhandling is protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the existing ‘Ontario Safe Streets Act’ already includes a number of measures to address aggressive panhandling, including:

• automated teller machines
• pay telephones or a public toilet facilities
• taxi stand or a public transit stop
• in or on a public transit vehicle
• soliciting a person who is in the process of getting in, out of, on or off a vehicle or
• who is in a parking lot
• on a roadway, soliciting a person who is in or on a stopped, standing or parked vehicle

Francis says Monday’s motion is the right step forward.

“So if we were able to enact a bylaw, then bylaw enforcement officers can also be enacted to ensure that you know dangerous panhandling behavior is not occurring,” he said. “And more importantly go up to people that are panhandling and maybe instruct them, educate them and inform them of the services available to them to hopefully help them get back on their feet.”