Darien Panhandling Sparks Discussion

DARIEN, IL — You may not want to see panhandlers in public spaces, but the government can do little about it. That was the message at Tuesday's Darien City Council meeting.

Alderman Ted Schauer said he had received a complaint from a resident about "a lot of people begging" at 75th Street and Cass Avenue. He said he passed on the information to the police, but was told the city could do nothing about the panhandlers.

Police Chief Greg Thomas told the council that DuPage County State's Attorney Robert Berlin advised municipalities that they could no longer enforce rules related to panhandlers, citing a Supreme Court decision.

While the Supreme Court has not directly addressed the issue of panhandling, its decisions over the years have largely protected direct solicitations on First Amendment grounds. In 2015, a lower federal court found a Springfield law banning panhandling in its historic district unconstitutional, citing Supreme Court free-speech rulings.