Panhandlers on street corners are a common sight on Austin's streets, but the City Council hopes to change that.
Last month, council member Jennifer Kim proposed an ordinance to prohibit panhandling within 1,000 feet of schools.
The Austin Police Department quickly jumped on board with their support. Armed with data, the Austin Police Department told city council Thursday night that roadside panhandling needs to be banned citywide.
"This is a very emotional debate in the community but I just want to make it real clear that from our perspective, we are only interested in saving lives," Chief Art Acevedo said.
Current law only prohibits aggressive panhandling and panhandling downtown, at Interstate 35 and Cesar Chavez and The Drag.
"You have to have a complaining witness. It's essentially an unenforceable law currently," council member Brewster McCracken said.
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Panhandling ordinance
The city is considering a proposal to ban panhandling citywide.
 
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Austin police are also recommending panhandling be outlawed on either side of the street within 1,000 feet of a school.
"Sometimes people out of desperation will take desperate measure to try and go out there and solicit money. Quite frankly the highway is not the place to do that. Vehicles and pedestrians do not mix," Acevedo said.
The issue appeared to have the council divided. Kim and McCracken both support the measure. The city's law department says an outright panhandling ban would be illegal.
"We already have laws in place that speak to the specific issues of soliciting in the roadway and it hasn't stopped it," council member Mike Martinez said.
Stuart Wakeley, who said he's begged before, said it's not an easy lifestyle.
"These people are being safe. They're staying on the curb and I don't see them jumping into traffic," he sad.
Wakeley says to stop panhandling, Austin has to solve another problem first.
"The resources are not there to help somebody get off the street for good," he said.
The city council set a public hearing regarding the issue for Oct. 18.
