Yet officials continue to discourage handing money to those in need on the street. They say it’s better to pass along information on organizations that can offer food and shelter services.

Before December, Omaha had a panhandling ordinance that said people wanting to solicit money — other than a religious organization or a charity — had to obtain written permission from the police chief.

The America Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue over the ordinance, saying it violated the First Amendment, so council members voted in December to restrict only “aggressive” panhandling.

According to the current ordinance, a panhandler cannot be near an ATM machine, touch or block the path of a person, repeatedly request money or commit other nuisances.

From May 1 to July 31 this year, police have responded to 20 calls of aggressive panhandling. In the same period last year, 220 panhandling-related incidents were reported.

Baker said this year, fewer than five people have been arrested for aggressive panhandling.

“I think we’re doing the right thing by making sure that officers only go out to those extreme calls,” City Council President Ben Gray said.