Letter to the Editor: Panhandlers Are A Problem

The following is from North Bellmore resident Patricia Faulkner.

It seems that there is a panhandling ring going on in Long Island. These people have been called gypsies. I don't know if that is true but, what I do know is true is that they have multiple men and women and children.

They rotate these characters to create "families" and sit on the side of the road in heat and near traffic, with the children begging for money, claiming that they lost jobs and are poor. However, when offered jobs they become indignant and refuse.

I think the issues are the blanant abuse, explotation and endangerment of the children AND taking advantage of the kindess of hard working Long Islanders. They are taking money away from legit charities and are living off of the immense amounts of money they seems to be making.

There is also the possibility that something more sinister is going on, such as, human trafficking. They stay at one location until management of the store or the police ask them to leave and are then picked up in the same minivan and dropped off somewhere else.

People are documenting this through pictures and videos and the police are "well aware" of the issue but, I think the public alo needs to be "well aware."

Without informing the public about this scam, it will continue. Possibly during colder weather. It will bring down the value of Long Island homes and introduce more criminal activity to the area.

The recent surge of crime in North Bellmore make me scared enough (my husband was held up in our driveway at gunpoint last December). I don't need to worry about possible gypsy scams. My husband is from the south and says they used to knock on the door and distract you while someone snuck in the back and robbed you. This kind of activity is terrifying.

I am attaching some thread from local forums so you can see what others are noticing about this group of people.

Thread with pictures of the "families": http://www.lifamilies.com/chat/topic-i-saw-2-different-families-today-begging-755532-1.html

Another thread with tons of locations they have been seen at: http://www.lifamilies.com/chat/topic-seems-someone-finally-called-the-cops-on-those-panhandlers-we-were-discussing-754736-1.html

And finally a thread from a different forum with a man who says he has been videotaping the groups of men. This one says that News12 is investigating it. It also details the minivan that is used to pick up these people: http://www.city-data.com/forum/long-island/1664627-panhandler-man-wife-tot-begging-money-6.html

Editor's note: Nassau County Police officials told Patch they have not received any reports of panhandling in Nassau County. Patch did, however, report on pandhandling in Suffolk County.