Councilors: No new laws needed to address panhandling

Portales city councilors concluded no new laws are necessary to enforce the prohibition of aggressive panhandling because there is a similar code that can be amended to include it.

The Portales City Council gave a notice of intent Tuesday night at its meeting to rewrite a city code regarding peddlers. The council wants to outlaw aggressive panhandling.

"We have enough laws to worry about, we just need something enforceable that makes sense," Councilor Keith Thomas said.

A proposed ordinance was discussed for months after councilors, police officers and other city officials had received complaints from citizens about aggressive panhandling tactics and felt the need to address the issue.

While they agreed the aggressiveness needed to stop, a proposed ordinance to limit panhandling through a permit process was eventually killed because councilors couldn't agree on the parameters of the ordinance.

In the proposed addition to the peddler code, panhandling will remain legal with the exception of aggressive panhandling.

Peddlers or panhandlers will not be allowed to "act in any manner, make any statements or otherwise do anything to intentionally divert the attention of drivers from the operation of their motor vehicle," according to the ordinance.

Panhandlers refusing to leave or disturbing the peace will also be subject to penalties.

"I didn't want to see a new ordinance added," Councilor Matt Hunton said. "I didn't want to see two ordinances that are similar. This gives the police the tools they need to stop the aggressive panhandling."