New Copperas Cove ordinance addresses "aggressive" panhandling

By LYNETTE SOWELL 

Cove Leader-Press 

Those who travel the streets of Copperas Cove – particularly at busier intersections along Business 190 – have seen an increase in “panhandling” over recent years. 

On Tuesday evening, a public hearing on a new an ordinance was held, and the Copperas Cove city council and passed the new ordinance. 

The ordinance restricts aggressive solicitation in certain areas and hours, and also prohibits sitting or lying down in the right of way. The ordinance aims to mitigate traffic risks, prevent aggressive behavior, and enhance public order, according to the agenda.

“Aggressive solicitation” as defined in the ordinance includes “solicitation or following pedestrians, repetitive soliciting despite refusals, the use of abusive or profane language to cause fear or intimidation, unwanted physical contact or the intentional blocking of pedestrian or vehicular traffic.”

Additionally, “the presence of individuals who solicit money from persons at or near banks, automated teller machines, public transportation facilities and crosswalks is especially troublesome because of the enhanced fear of crime in a place that is confined, difficult to avoid or where a person might find it necessary to wait.”

The offense occurs if someone aggressively solicits on, in, or from the median of a divided street, road, or highway; within five feet of a curb or edge of a street, within 25 feet of an ATM machine, bank entrance, or near the entrance or exit of a check cashing business, restaurant or food service establishment, or the service area of an outdoor eating establishment; at a marked crosswalk; on either side of the street on a block where a school attended by minors, or a childcare facility has an entrance or exit.

This also includes door to door solicitation, between 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. Any solicitation is prohibited if a residence has a “no soliciting” sign displayed.

Copperas Cove Police Chief Eddie Wilson cited statistics, both locally and statewide, for auto-pedestrian incidents. 

He cited a recent example of a safety issue that was reported by an officer. 

“Our most recent complaint that we had was actually self-initiated by one of our officers. We had a13-year-old who was panhandling at the intersection of Constitution and 190 and it was learned that the individual was a runaway from the city locally,” Chief Wilson told the council. “And when the officer went to detain them, they resisted. So we had an incident where they were wrestling with a 13-year-old right there, near a congested roadway, which made it very unsafe.”

In addition to safety issues, the panhandling often leads to littering at intersections, as a direct result of individuals asking for money from drivers at intersections. 

From 2020-2024, the Copperas Cove Police Department responded to 149 calls for service that involved solicitation and panhandling. Three arrests and three citations were issued. 

“The number would probably be much higher if we didn’t have such a large group of citizens that already know and understand that when they see it, there’s nothing that we can really do about it. And those complaints also expand out to not just the solicitation in the roadway but also littering and some other environmental issues,” Chief Wilson said. “Our Code Compliance has worked really hard at trying to keep those intersections that where it happens, mostly cleaned up. Solid Waste has really stepped in and helped out with a lot of those cleanups. I know KCCB has done some cleanups along that area of the highway as well. 

“The other thing is, our community is a very gracious community. We have a lot of people that step up when others are in need. So with that, it also enables the activity. It makes it lucrative for a lot many of those who panhandle in our community, and we don’t necessarily poll those individuals that are out there doing it, but it is safe to say that many of them are not homeless. 

Chief Wilson noted that an officer self-reported an issue with someone asking drivers for money at an intersection. 

As far as enforcement of the new ordinances goes, Chief Wilson said the department will not have a “zero tolerance approach.”

Instead, Wilson said, when speaking to someone who is panhandling on a roadway, officers will first seek to educate them on the ordinances. Also, they will provide a pamphlet or flyer with local resources for assistance. 

Violators of the ordinance can be charged with a misdemeanor and if convicted, be fined up to $500.