Camillo Warns Against Contributing To Panhandlers In Town

GREENWICH, CT — First Selectman Fred Camillo is urging residents to not contribute to panhandlers in town and instead suggested directing people who might be in need of help to the Greenwich Department of Human Services.

In the summer of 2022, Greenwich installed signage in areas where panhandling had occurred in the past that instructs people to donate their money to various social services and human services organizations. The signs advise panhandlers to call 211 and/or go to the city's website, assuming they have access to the internet, for help.

The town had received complaints about panhandlers near the I-95 exit 5 entrance and exit ramps in Riverside, and at exits 2 and 3.

While the signage has been effective at curbing panhandling, which is legal in Connecticut, Camillo said in his weekly newsletter to the community last week that the town wants to discourage the activity.

"Our Department of Human Services is here to help people in need either directly or by connecting them to nearby nonprofits. There is no need for people to be panhandling when there are better and safer options available. All they have to do is ask us for help and we will do whatever we can," Camillo said. "We also want to discourage people from giving panhandlers money because that only gets them [to] do it more. I know people think giving money to panhandlers is right and compassionate thing to do but getting them to work with our Department of Human Services actually is the right thing to do because when they get money from panhandling, it only prolongs the issue."

Camillo noted that according to state law, panhandling is legal on public property as long as people are not standing in the street.

The activity is covered under the First Amendment, Camillo added, and police can't arrest panhandlers or issue tickets unless panhandlers are in the roadway or leave behind litter.

According to State law, panhandling is legal on public property as long as the people doing it are not standing in the street. Panhandling is considered free speech under the First Amendment of the Constitution so it’s not like we can arrest or even ticket people for doing it unless they are in the street or leaving behind litter.