Some Springfield aldermen say the city should take a closer look at a tactic used by other cities to combat panhandling... making it an offense, punishable by a ticket, to give money to a panhandler.
The city has been trying to crack down on the problem recently, urging people not to give money to panhandlers and working to identify and arrest people who use aggressive or intimidating tactics to get others to give them money.
Some business owners say it's not enough, and say panhandlers seem to be getting more persistent. Police say they are using undercover stings and other enforcement tools to address the problem.
