No Solicitation In Lodi
The city of Lodi is joining a growing number of California communities that are banning panhandling and solicitation.
Permalink
(Lodi, CA)
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Fed up with people who are camping outside of public and private buildings and asking for everything from money to political support, the Lodi city council has passed laws banning loitering and soliciting.
Council member Larry Hansen says many of the solicitors were from out of town and often didn’t take “no” for an answer.
They’d come in to either solicit donations or gather signatures for petitions and they were just very abrasive, very aggressive.
Those convicted of violating the ordinances are subject to fines and possibly jail time.
Hansen says the laws were crafted in such a manner that it will allow the local fire department to conduct charity drives.
Opponents of the laws say they will only drive the homeless to other communities.