Minneapolis' New Way Of Dealing With Downtown Panhandlers
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Panhandlers are hard to ignore on Minneapolis's Nicollet Mall, but now the city is getting creative in dealing with them.
During the summer months, Minneapolis police and the Hennepin County deputies team up with workers from the Downtown Improvement District to increase patrols and offer assistance to the homeless.
A team of teenagers and young adults is also helping out.
"Anytime anyone has to ask for money, it is not a feel good situation," said Shane Zahn, of the Downtown Improvement District.
Ambassadors with the Downtown Improvement District are responsible for more than cleaning up and showing tourists hospitality. They're trained to talk to people who appear to be in desperate need of help.
"For example, if we had somebody sleeping down there, looking like they are in need or panhandling, we are able to reach out to those organizations that have street outreach," Zahn said.
It's not just older folks in distress. It's teenagers, too.
For the first time, the city has teamed up with Youthlink to send a small group of trained teenagers and young adults, who've often known homelessness themselves, out into the streets.
"They've lived the life of not having any place to go, they know what to say to them," Dr. Heather Huseby of Youthlink said. "They know how to encourage them. They know those places where the kids are hanging out in the streets."
William, 23, is one of the outreach navigators.
"[These people] may be homeless, but they are never loveless because there are organizations like Youthlink that provide that nurturing environment and resources to move on," he said.
Minneapolis police and the Downtown Improvement District say that summer road construction projects throughout downtown Minneapolis seem to have shifted panhandlers into new areas.
Police say there is no evidence that there are more of them.
