Fredericton businesses seek crackdown on panhandlers

A Fredericton business group wants the city to crackdown on aggressive panhandlers who are scaring people away from the downtown.

Bruce McCormack, the general manager of Downtown Fredericton Inc., said his group has received about 40 complaints from people who were confronted by panhandlers demanding they hand over spare change.

There is a city bylaw that prohibits people from asking for money on Fredericton streets.

But McCormack said some panhandlers are not respecting the law and are still approaching people and asking for money.

"We have people who are going to the bank with deposits. They're being hassled and harassed. People looking for money," he said.

McCormack said some panhandlers are using abusive language if people are not handing over any change.

"When businesses are calling me saying, 'I just got a call from a customer who said they're not coming back downtown, they're too scared to walk on the streets by those aggressive panhandlers,' we've got a problem," he said.

McCormack said he's met with Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside and the police to ask for action against these aggressive panhandlers.

Cpl. Rick Mooney, a spokesperson for the Fredericton Police, said the police are working on a plan to deal with these latest complaints, including more enforcement.

"Upcoming in June, a dedicated officer who will be in uniform on the streets in the downtown doing foot patrols … that will be an assistance in dealing with this issue," he said.

Mooney said the city police have opened seven files on aggressive panhandlers this month.

‘I can’t even eat’

Bradley Reid is often seen panhandling in downtown Fredericton. He said wants to be a pipefitter, but said he can't find a job.

Without a job, he needs to find some way to make ends meet.

"Welfare, they are helping me, but at only $330 a month — to live on a month — I can’t afford it, I can’t even eat," he said.

Reid, 20, said he is not aggressive when he is on the street.

"I’m not rude about it or nothing. People say, ‘Get a job,’ I don’t say nothing to them. I say, ‘I have a hard time finding a job,’" Reid said.

Reid's primary panhandling location is just down from Luke Randall's business on Queen Street. 

Randall said he's seen a definite increase in the number of people panhandling outside his store this year.

"There are two distinct groups. We are seeing a second more transient group spiking this year, it feels similar to how it was eight or nine years ago when we saw a surge in aggressive panhandling," he said.