Businesses in Portland Want Crack Down on Panhandling

PORTLAND, Maine - A trade group of local merchants in Maine's largest city is starting a drive to crack down on panhandling, which it says hinders the ability to draw tourists.
 
Portland Downtown is putting together a committee of merchants that will hold its first meeting this month. The Portland Press Herald reports that the group is called the Pan Handling Ad-Hoc Committee.
 
Committee chairman Ken Cianchette says panhandling makes residents, workers and tourists feel unsafe. The group plans to research what other communities are doing about panhandling.
 
The group might eventually approach Portland city officials about potential solutions.
 
Portland has a law against aggressive panhandling and also tried to ban loitering on street medians in 2013. The loitering proposal was deemed unconstitutional by courts.