Panhandling prohibition proposed

Officials say a new proposed ordinance that would prohibit aggressive panhandling in Portales was prompted by a group claiming to be affiliated with a Texas church.

The Portales mayor, chief of police and city councilors have received numerous complaints about the group, seen on 18th Street and Avenue D often wearing orange vests, aggressively asking for money using tactics that have made people uncomfortable.

"We had so many complaints from citizens," said Portales Mayor Sharon King. "I think the real problem is how aggressive they were. That was what really got to people."

King described aggressive panhandling as asking for money by intimidating or obstructing the way of motorists as opposed to having a motorist motioning them to come to their vehicle.

King said the ordinance, drafted by Portales City Attorney Randy Knudson, will be up for discussion tonight at the council's bi-monthly meeting.

She added no official action will be taken and there will be a public hearing, as required for all city ordinances, prior to it coming to a vote.

King says research has been done on the church group to prove that the organization they claim to be raising money for does not exist. She added that there is no city law in place now that could stop the group from being there or asking for money.

"The only thing we could do is stop them from interfering with traffic, other than that, we couldn't do anything," King said. "We felt like it was time to do something, but we do want to protect the Girl Scouts and legitimate groups."

King is aiming to define how to determine whether a group is a legitimate one, such as requiring them to prove they're a nonprofit organization, at tonight's meeting.

Portales Police Chief Doug Jones said this group is preying on the good hearts of the people of Portales and he no longer plans to tolerate it.

"They've been aggressive, they've been seen intimidating motorists and they're claiming to be affiliated with a church, which they are not," Jones said. "They're bilking our local citizens out of money."

Jones fears that if this ordinance is not approved, the panhandling will continue.

He said he's dispatched his officers to that intersection twice in February after several complaints about the group being out there, tapping on windows and standing in front of vehicles.

Jones added that the group also claimed to be affiliated with a Portales church, but Jones said they determined that wasn't true either.

The only concern local leaders have is that this ordinance may prevent legitimate organizations from asking for money, but Knudson said they think those groups will be protected, such as the Portales Fire Department and its Fill the Boot campaign to raise money for muscular dystrophy.

"The draft ordinance is just for discussion, but yes we did attempt to take an account legitimate activities," Knudson said.