Lakewood Tightens Rules on Aggressive Begging, Tagging

You're at a gas station, grocery store or simply walking down the street and a person asks you for money. You feel bad for the person begging for change but, in most cases, you tell them no.

The city is bucking up, hoping to eliminate that interaction at certain places during certain parts of the day.

The Lakewood City Council unanimously amended an aggressive begging and ordinance this past week. The city already outlaws aggressive begging in public but this new push will completely ban it in areas where it's more frequent.

Begging violations are considered a misdemeanor crime, punishable by as much as a $1,000 fine, as many as 90 days in jail, or both. The ordinance defines "aggressive begging" as intimidating another person into giving money or goods, begging by providing false or misleading information or begging in a manner that exploits children.

Where have you been asked for money in Lakewood? I seem to be asked at gas stations more than any other place and I spot the occasionally "Will work for food" sign.

People are going to beg regardless of what laws are on the books. Panhandlers aren't going to suddenly stop holding signs or requesting money from commuters or pedestrians.

However, the switch to banning aggressive begging at specific areas like major intersections, highway on- and off-ramps, near ATMs, public transit centers or bus stops during nighttime hours makes it illegal and is a step in the right direction.

People haven't quit speeding but if they see a speed-limit sign, it makes them aware that going more than 5 mph above the limit is illegal.

The issue of begging isn't nearly as bad compared to larger cities like Seattle or Tacoma. Although it's the second-largest city in Pierce County, the circuitous grid doesn't afford a hotbed for begging. There isn't a major street like Pacific Avenue in downtown Tacoma. Bridgeport Way is the densest but rarely do I see beggars there.

Certain areas of Tacoma used to be unsafe to walk; in certain areas, it still is. I doubt Lakewood has or will ever reach that point when beggars potentially turn into muggers. It wasn't an overnight fix. It took the City of Tacoma years to increase awareness and crack down on the problem, particularly in the downtown business district.

Same goes for Lakewood. The Lakewood Police Department is one of the most active and visible police agencies in Pierce County, and it has worked hard to control crime.

Lakewood Councilman Walter Neary said a beggar he had denied at one of the Lakewood Towne Center stores followed him to the parking lot. His wife has stories of, when their kids were younger, shopping at the mall and being approached while putting kids in the car seats.

Begging has been happening in Lakewood for years, so establishing a law that helps deter it is a good move.

"The overall goal will be to create an environment to help panhandlers understand they should go to other areas where police don’t give them leaflets explaining the law," Neary said.

The new law is not a catch-all. Police aren't waiting for a complaint about a beggar and zooming over to issue a misdemeanor citation. The interaction lasts just a few seconds.

If businesses and citizens aren't reporting it, begging will continue.

Linda Smith, director of the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, said she frequently gets asked for money from people at the strangest places. She was approached as she was driving out of a drive-through bank.

"A lot of times the clerk or attendant doesn't know it's a problem," Smith said. "If the business owner is told this is something you can make a complaint about, then I think other people will feel more comfortable going out there and being the bad guy."

Lakewood councilman Jason Whalen said there has been a perceived problem with Lakewood's image, generally, and there are contributing factors the city has worked diligently to address.

"Sometimes, perception is or can become reality," Whalen said. "If the public understands that we won't tolerate that behavior any longer and that we are willing to put some teeth into our laws to address the issue, then perception will become, over time, that Lakewood is not a place to tag, beg or engage in senseless criminal activity."

That brings me to tagging in Lakewood. The city has a tougher law on that, too, one that places more emphasis on property owners becoming more proactive.

A completely revised tagging ordinance was approved, making it a gross misdemeanor instead of a misdemeanor. Moreover, people who possess graffiti paraphernalia and who intend to spray paint public or private property could be fined as much as $5,000 and could be sentenced to as muich as a year in jail, or both.

Gang tagging has increased in parts of Lakewood. Lakewood Police Lt. Steve Mauer said there's more of it in the Tillicum-Woodbrook neighborhood, despite making arrests for the crime. One change in the ordinance is that property owners will be asked to remove the graffiti within 72 hours or face a $500 fine.

I don't exactly agree with punshing people for not removing graffiti from their private property, but the best way to discourage gang tagging is by removing it as quickly as possible.

"If the tagger or aggressive panhandler perceives that Lakewood is no longer his or her venue of choice, perhaps they will either stop their activities or will move on," Whalen said. "In either case, we win."