Suburban Police Report Spike In Panhandling

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (WCCO) -- If you've noticed more people begging for money outside of Minneapolis and St. Paul, you're not alone.

Suburban police departments are reporting a spike in panhandling.  Officers say people have figured out how to follow the money.

She is not hard to spot along a busy Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Center.  A 33-year-old who wants to be called Alice, clutching a sign, collecting money, just miles from the fast food restaurant where she works.

"$9.50 an hour 20 hours a week getting paid every other week is not feasible," Alice said.

Alice says she's been homeless since July.  She believes begging for money is safer in the suburbs and will often make more from people driving by than she will in her paycheck.

"I've gotten a hotel room every time I've done it," Alice said.

Maple Grove Police Captain Dan Wills says his department noticed a difference this summer.

"Our panhandling complaints have gone up quite a bit," Wills said.

"A lot of people are getting out of the Minneapolis, St. Paul areas and coming up to the outer ring suburbs where they seem to be making some more money," he added.

The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes have turned Maple Grove into one of the largest retail areas in the state.

"There's a lot of transient traffic that comes in here, and so people are standing at the bottom of intersections with their sign out looking for money and a lot of times people will give them that money they're looking for," Captain Wills said.

But, police don't want you to give them money. Instead, they say it's better to give to an organization that can step in.

"Allow us to refer them to the resources. Donate to those local charities and that's going to serve the panhandlers a lot more long-term," Wills said.

It's a long-term plan that can seem far off for those like Alice. In a place she never thought she'd be.

"It takes all of me it drains me emotionally. I don't know what to do though. I don't know what to do," Alice said.

Maple Grove Police are now passing out a card that lists community resources for panhandlers. They will often even drive people to a shelter if they have time.

Panhandling is not illegal but aggressive panhandling is. Wills says if anyone is following traffic closely or yelling at drivers, police should be called.