Outlawing aggressive panhandling and trespassing along public streets and sidewalks has become another tactic Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome is trying to implement to address the city-parish's growing homeless crisis.

But the proposed ordinances Broome's administration has presented to the Metro Council are drawing criticism from civil rights advocates who say her approach is problematic.

There are those in the business community, specifically in Baton Rouge's downtown area, who are calling Broome's proposed legislation a needed first step in addressing an issue that has flared up around the city-parish.

"The issue of people blocking sidewalks, walking up to folks in parking lots. I've even heard from late-night bar establishments who've said they've had issues with patrons being aggressively solicited while downtown by people asking for money," said Davis Rhorer, executive director of the Downtown Development District. "This has been a needed, great first step."

Ben Blackwell, general manager of the new Courtyard Marriott motel on Third Street, attributes the issue to downtown's evolving growth, saying Broome's effort properly elevates the parish's laws against panhandling.

"We've definitely seen a little of an uptick of homelessness in the downtown area," Blackwell said. "But that's always the case with growth. The more foot traffic you have, you'll see more aggressive panhandling and solicitation."

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Broome said Monday her administration spent months researching best practices in other states that have successfully adopted laws addressing the issue. Her goal, she said, is to take a compassionate approach.

The Metro Council on Wednesday will consider setting a public hearing for March 25 on the proposed ordinances.

The set of proposed statutes would specifically target aggressive solicitation and harassment, false or misleading representation, and obstruction of sidewalks and other public rights of way.

"Aggressive solicitation" is defined as blocking cars from entering and exiting legal parking areas, following a person or group with the intent to harass them, walking up and asking someone for money while they're at an ATM, loitering along a roadway to beg from motorists for money and entering a private business or "defined neighborhood" to solicit whenever there's a sign posted prohibiting such practices.

The proposed ordinances would also target individuals who falsely identify themselves to ask for money for a need that doesn't exist. It would also be unlawful for anyone to solicit funds for one purpose and then use them for a different purpose.

The final proposed caveat would outlaw anyone from sitting or lying down on any public sidewalk, median or any other right of way.

For each violation, offenders would get fined up to $25, or sentenced to 20 hours of community service, for the first offense. If cited again for aggressive panhandling and/or trespassing, offenders would face up to $250 in fines and 60 hours of community service.

Should the court determine an offender is homeless, at the risk of being homeless or fleeing a domestic violence situation and seeking help, the proposed ordinances would give the judge the option to waive certain penalties.

Broome pointed to the $250,000 grant the Capital Area Alliance for Homeless received to build tiny homes for some of the city-parish's homeless population and recent expansions of the parish's homeless shelters as other ways her administration is trying to address the issue.

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"These ordinances take a real comprehensive approach to addressing the challenging social issues we're facing, like homelessness and housing affordability," Broome said. "We want to get people help. Through community service, we can put them in touch with people that can help."

The Baton Rouge Police Department would receive special training on how to enforce the ordinance should it successfully gain the approval of the Metro Council.

Bruce Hamilton, staff attorney with the Louisiana chapter of The American Civil Liberties Union, said upon first glance what Broome is proposing doesn't appear to be unconstitutional, but called the proposals "shameful" for the way they would criminalize homelessness in the city-parish.

"They're problematic, especially since there are already laws that protect against forms of harassment," Hamilton said Monday. "Criminalizing the poor and homeless won't make a community better. What you're doing is fining people and giving them community service hours for essentially just asking others for help."

The ACLU has successfully challenged the constitutionality of some statutes that other cities and parishes have tried to adopt dealing with panhandling.

In 2017, a federal judge sided with the organization by declaring Slidell’s panhandler licensing law unconstitutional, ruling the ordinance was substantially overbroad and went too far in prohibiting protected speech that poses no threat to public safety.

Hamilton said they'll take a closer look at what Broome is proposing and weigh in should any serious concerns arise.

"Some aggressive solicitation ordinances have been upheld," he added.