Advocates of homeless panhandle to protest Cranston ban

By: News Staff

news@abc6.com

Twitter: @ABC6

CRANSTON, R.I. – Numerous advocates for the homeless panhandled at a busy intersection in Cranston during rush hour in protest early Monday evening.              

Cranston Police issued fifteen citations to protesters for panhandling and for standing in the roadway, a violation of state law.          

Karen Jeffreys, spokesperson for homeless advocates called the city tickets for panhandling "good news" because they want to challenge the ordinance in court.  

"I received two tickets, one from the city of Cranston and one from the state. I have two court dates coming up in May," said House of Hope representative Megan Smith. 

 "I intend to appear in court and I intend to defend myself against the charge," said Andrew Horwitz, a law professor from Roger Williams University.            

The City Council passed the ordinance in February, describing it as a safety measure.

The ordinance prohibits people from asking for money while standing on medians near multiple-lane roads or on roads where the speed limit is higher than 25 mph.             

Mayor Allan Fung issued the following statement following the protest:

“I stand by the road safety ordinance and am confident the Cranston Police Department will properly enforce the law on our roadways. This ordinance is about public safety and making sure nobody gets hurt or involved in an accident in one of our busy intersections. This ordinance is narrowly-tailored to restrict transactions from occurring in the roadway in specific high-traffic intersections. As mayor, I have a responsibility to ensure the public is safe, whether they’re on foot or behind the wheel.”

©WLNE-TV / ABC6 2017