City may place more anti-panhandling signs

Lawton officials want to add four more high-profile areas to their list of sites with anti-panhandling signs.

Members of the Homeless Action Committee will be taking a recommendation to the City Council to set up those signs in four new locations, joining five sites along arterials that already have the signs. City staff began erecting the signs at the direction of the City Council, which made the decision to tackle potential hazards at high-traffic intersections where they fear panhandlers may prompt drivers to stop or ignore traffic signal lights, disrupting traffic.

Streets Superintendent Cliff Haggenmiller said city officials and the public have identified four new locations where panhandling has become a problem, and he recommended placement of signs. Those sites include North Sheridan Road at Northwest Elm Avenue, near Aldi’s (four signs); Cache Road and Northwest 44th Street, near Lowe’s (four signs); Northwest 67th Street and Quanah Parker Trailway (four signs); and Gray Warr Avenue and Northwest 82nd Street (two signs for just one side of the road).

The City of Lawton already has erected 15 of the 40 signs they had made to discourage people from donating to panhandlers.