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El Cajon mayor Bill Wells: "If we could make a law against panhandling, we would."

An El Cajon City Council discussion of panhandling signs last week turned into a debate about messaging and addiction.

"I'm close to the line of shaming somebody who happens to be struggling with something," said councilmember Steve Goble of the proposed new signs. Deputy mayor Phil Ortiz countered, saying "it's evasion of the real problem" if addiction isn't directly correlated with panhandling.

Re-worded sign

In addition to a redesign of existing signs, three new locations were decided on the west side of the city along Navajo Road, Greenfield Drive and Interstate 8, and El Cajon Boulevard and Main Street near the Marshall Avenue transit station.

"I think it would be easy to say we could put a no panhandling sign on every corner," said city manager Graham Mitchell. "But I worry that it does send a message. If you have a proliferation of signs everywhere, on every corner, it sends a message that it's more of a problem than it really is."

Other re-designs considered

The signs discourage motorists from giving money to panhandlers, link the giving of money with supporting drug and alcohol addiction, and encourage panhandlers to seek temporary shelter. Between 2023 and 2024, the city's unsheltered population increased from 203 to 283 people. 

The city installed its first panhandling signs in 2018. They included a text number for the East County Homeless Task Force. "Please help. Don't Support Panhandling." Two years ago they were modified to read, "Say no to panhandling. Contribute to the solution. Give to local charities." No link was provided to 211, which didn't want to be on the signs. 

Sign from 2018, left, and sign from 2022, right

Now the city is back at the drawing board with a redesign and three proposed locations for the signs, which cost $600 each to manufacture and install — and a new message that includes addiction. "Do not support panhandling. It directly contributes to drug and alcohol abuse."

The best part, said Goble, was the message below that: "Free food and shelter is available in .8 miles at 1527 E. Main Street."  From a legal perspective, Goble said he was wary of saying all panhandlers abuse drugs and alcohol. "My compromise is: don't support panhandling; help prevent drug and alcohol abuse." 

New and existing sign locations

Others approved the message because they thought it would make motorists less likely to offer money to the homeless. "They're not doing them favors by giving them $5, and they go buy a bottle of booze," said council member Gary Kendricks. "It directly contributes to their self-destructive lifestyle."

No Panhandling signs were opposed when they cropped up in La Mesa a few years ago.

El Cajon's mayor Bill Wells said studies say "somewhere around 45, maybe 35 percent" of the homeless have drug and alcohol addictions, but based on anecdotes he thinks it's much higher.

Wells said he liked the idea of a directive because the city isn't allowed to make a law against panhandling, which numerous court cases have determined to be a free speech right under the First Amendment. 

"But we would, right? If we could make a law against panhandling, we would. So the next best thing is to say don't do it."