There is a compassionate response to a panhandler who asks you for money, and it’s not to hand over a couple of bucks. Michigan State Police Trooper Duane Zook knows that all too well. Zook has made it his personal mission to work with people who panhandle on freeway exit ...
It was the man who froze to death that did it for Duane Zook. Like everyone who drives around Ann Arbor, Zook had seen people standing at the end of highway exit ramps. They hold signs bearing messages like “Will work for food” or “Homeless vet. Please help.” But after ...
As general manager of the Espresso Royale coffee shop on South State Street, Peter Ludt has a keen perspective on downtown Ann Arbor and its panhandling culture. There's no doubt that downtown has a panhandling problem, Ludt says, and many people seem to think it's slowly getting worse.
The Ann Arbor City Council voted 10-0 Monday night on changes to the city's solicitation ordinance to prohibit panhandling in more areas of the city, including in front of the downtown library and within 12 feet of a public alley. The changes sponsored by Council Member Sabra Briere, D-1st Ward, ...
It's early in the afternoon and 42-year-old Gwyddion Storm has about five or six dollars collected in a faded cap that sits on the sidewalk in front of him. In red marker, his cardboard sign reads: "Homeless & Wet. Anything Helps." He's perched in front of a store on Liberty ...
If you really want to understand an issue, ask the experts. That’s what a task force on aggressive panhandling did. It brought in people who actually panhandle on the streets of downtown Ann Arbor - and got an earful. The panhandlers didn’t mince words. They’re not homeless, they said. They ...
Police Chief Barnett Jones confirmed Monday night what some already suspect: Panhandling is a growing problem in downtown Ann Arbor. "This was a summer where the No. 1 crime that occurred in our community was aggressive panhandling," Jones said, addressing the Ann Arbor City Council.
You've probably seen his familiar face downtown, sometimes in coffee shops, other times holding up homemade signs with messages like - "Need a buck. Why lie? I want to get high on pot" - and asking passersby if they can spare some change. He may have even asked you.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com AnnArbor.com's partner news site MLive.com is on a quest to find the best barbecue in ......
Get the Ann Arbor RSS Feed
AnnArbor.com