Panhandlers could face fine in downtown Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE, LA (FOX44) — A proposed ordinance could make it hard for folks to hit you up for money in the downtown area.

The Downtown Development District is trying to get rid of panhandlers in the Capitol City. Those are people who ask for cash in the streets.

Officials say panhandling has become a problem, and that's why they're cracking down.

But some residents say -- it's really doesn't bother them.

"I guess it is fine with me because we are in America and they can ask for what they want,” Joshua Sartin, Baton Rouge resident, says.

“If they're not legit ad they're just out there and they already have money and they're just out there begging or getting drugs or something, I think they should be involved and try to get something done about it," Vertrice Lewis, another resident, says.

If the ordinance passes, panhandlers could face a $500 fine. The measure goes before the full Downtown Development District on Thursday, Jan. 12.

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