Henry County cracking down on professional panhandlers who ask for money but don’t really need it

HENRY COUNTY, Ga — A local county is fighting back against professional panhandlers.

Channel 2′s Tom Jones spoke to people in Henry County who said it seems like more people are asking for money and the panhandlers can be aggravating.

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The Sheriff’s office said it’s a crime and it had to crack down after businesses and their customers started complaining.

Tim Jenkins, a Stockbridge resident, said he gets accosted by panhandlers all the time. He said they constantly ask for money.

“It could be annoying sometimes,” Jenkins said. “I seen some lady down in Stockbridge. She had a sign saying homeless and pregnant. She had a sign, homeless and pregnant.”

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The Henry County Sheriff’s Office said panhandling on public property is a crime and a nuisance. They are cracking down on it before it gets out of control.

Major Tina with the Sheriff’s office said it’s a quality-of-life issue.

“We receive complaints or have been receiving complaints from business owners and residents,” Daniel said.

Deputies say highway 138 is where a lot of the panhandling takes place. It’s why the sheriff’s office set up an operation to tackle the problem.

“We have made arrests. People need to know that we are watching and that panhandling here in Henry County will not be tolerated,” Daniel said.

The Sheriff’s office said it keeps an eye out for professional panhandlers who ask for money even if they have more than enough to live on.

“They’re essentially professionals. They go from place to place. That is their job Monday through Friday.” Daniel said.

Some panhandlers even pretend to play music to get you to give them money. Jenkins said that doesn’t surprise him.

“I wouldn’t doubt that some of them are trying to take advantage of the system,” Daniel said.

The Sheriff’s office said it’s not trying to lock up all panhandlers. They said they want to help those who truly need help and point them to services to get them off the street.

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