Panhandling reduction efforts fail in Virginia county; Safety study ordered instead

Efforts to curb panhandling stall in Fairfax County

FOX 5's Josh Rosenthal reports on the failed efforts to curb panhandling in Fairfax County, and what officials are doing instead.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - Efforts to curb panhandling have stalled in Fairfax County.

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"We have services for the people that are truly in need and we need to connect those people with the services, but they shouldn’t be standing on a street corner panhandling," said Supervisor Pat Herrity, who has pushed for something to be done about panhandlers in Northern Virginia for years. Efforts were largely put on the backburner during the pandemic, but at a Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, Herrity brought it back up.

He told FOX 5 that when panhandlers stand in the middle of a busy street, it creates a safety issue for everyone. Herrity also said that police have told him organized rings of panhandlers actually come into Fairfax County from elsewhere, and that he believes many of the panhandlers should be in the workforce, not in the street.

Ultimately Herrity’s plan – which would have included signs being posted on busy intersections asking drivers not to give money – did not get enough support. Instead, board members voted to have staff study safety risks associated with panhandling.

Fairfax Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay released this statement to FOX 5:

"Safety is a vital part of every decision we make in Fairfax County. The Board Matter I presented asks staff to take a look at intersections countywide and review any potential public safety implications of panhandling. I do see this as a public safety issue as we recently had a pedestrian fatality due to panhandling. However, this is a complicated issue involving free speech constitutional rights and the fact that most of the dangerous activity is in roadways that are owned by the state. This is the first time the current Board has discussed this situation, and I look forward to working with all stakeholders including the Fairfax County Police Department, the Fairfax County Department of Transportation, the County Attorney, and the Office to Prevent and End Homelessness to find a practical and, just as importantly, a compassionate solution to this problem."

"Our residents really expect us to do something about this," Herrity added Wednesday, "and they expect two things, that we look out for the people that are truly in need and that we address the public safety issue of panhandling, and we need to do that."

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County staff is expected to get back to board members by late July.