Community Panhandling Response

Prince William County wants to ensure the safety and well-being of all its residents, visitors and businesses. In order to do this, it is important to help those who are panhandling in a human-centered way to solve the underlying reasons why they are panhandling.

On February 13, 2024, the Board of County Supervisors issued the following directive #24-05:

The County Attorney's Office was directed to provide legal research and advice on possible ordinance amendments regarding panhandling and public safety, to include reviewing other Virginia local jurisdiction ordinances; and directed the County Executive to provide policy recommendations on the issue once the County Attorney has provided the legal advice.

In response to the directive to address the policy recommendations, a process action team was established to examine and address the issue of panhandling in the community. The process action team working on this issue includes employees from several county agencies and offices, including Social Services, Community Services, County Attorney, Police Department, Community Safety, Transportation, Communications and Engagement, the Deputy County Executive for Safe and Secure Community and the Deputy County Executive for Health, Wellbeing and Environmental Sustainability. Staff also engaged with the members of Homeless Services’ Continuum of Care, the Chamber of Commerce and Keep Prince William Beautiful.

No one single strategy alone can address panhandling. It takes a comprehensive approach with several different strategies to make sustainable improvements in reducing panhandling. To that end, the process action team identified following three areas of concerns and developed strategies to address these concerns. They presented their action strategies to the Board on June 11, 2024.

Public Safety Perceptions/Concerns

• Traffic Safety
• Aggressive Behavior
• Loitering

Provide Needed Services

• Housing/Homeless Services
• Mental Health/Substance Use Services
• Employment Services

Address Negative Perceptions

• Community Image/Appearance

Public Engagement & Communications

Goal: Change the behavior of givers; instead of giving directly to the panhandler, encourage them to donate to our local nonprofit community partners that assist us in providing services.

The process action team is also recommending launching a #GiveLocalPWC campaign. Based on the team’s research, changing the behavior of the giver is vital to accomplishing the goal of reducing panhandling. Panhandling can be very lucrative, with some earning as much as $200 per day. Therefore, the goal of this strategy is to provide the community with the opportunity to continue to give donations, but instead of giving directly to the panhandler, they give to the local Homeless Services providers. The county has established a designated panhandling webpage that links to members of the Prince William Area Homeless Services Continuum of Care, encouraging people to “give where it counts” and give directly to those who provide an array of services that range from housing assistance and mental health services to employment services.

Encouraging givers to donate to homeless service providers should reduce the direct giving. This will provide financial resources that can then be used to assist those that are panhandling with getting the services they need to effectively address the underlying issues that are causing them to panhandle. We also plan to use social media, signage, and other promotional materials to engage with the community.

Success Criteria for the Panhandling Response Initiative

• Reduction in panhandling
• Improved public perception and concerns of safety
• Increased resources for Community Partners
• Improved public perception of county

Major Milestones Completed

County Commitment of Staff to Address Panhandling: The county has demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing panhandling through expanded staffing, coordinated outreach efforts between DSS and CSB, and active business engagement led by the Office of Community Safety.

Multiple Methods to Report Panhandling Incidents: The Process Action Team established a coordinated countywide reporting system for panhandling activity through 311, a dedicated phone line, designated email address, and referrals from the Prince William County Police Department, county staff, and community partners.

Outreach Efforts: The Process Action Team implemented a multi-channel reporting and referral system to improve identification and response to panhandling activity through 311, dedicated communication lines, and coordinated referrals from the Prince William County Police Department, county staff, and community partners.

Monthly Reporting: DSS implemented a monthly performance reporting process to monitor outreach activities and measure engagement outcomes involving both homeless and non-homeless individuals through the initiative.

Public Engagement & Communications: The PAT Team, in coordination with the County’s Communications Department, developed a comprehensive public information campaign that includes community updates, educational materials, alternative giving resources, multilingual outreach tools, and printable media toolkits to support public awareness and engagement efforts related to panhandling.

Brief Assessment: DSS and CSB outreach teams conduct field-based assessments and connect individuals with supportive services, including shelter, housing stabilization, behavioral health resources, case management, employment assistance, and benefits navigation.

Pilot Sign Program: The Process Action Team completed site identification, baseline analysis, and implementation planning for a phased pilot initiative targeting 12 high-traffic panhandling locations, with evaluation measures established to assess program effectiveness and outcomes.