Alabama passed a law making loitering or panhandling on state highways and roadways a criminal offense, according to Sunday reports.
The bill’s supporters claim it will help public safety, according to Fox News. The bill also reportedly gives police officers discretion over which individuals to arrest. (RELATED: San Francisco Spent $160 Million Only To Have Homeless People Die In Rat-Infested Hotels)
Detractors of the bill claim it will further criminalize homelessness in the state. Punishments grow in severity with each successive infraction, with first-time offenders receiving a misdemeanor and habitual offenders receiving potential fines or jail time.
Alabama makes it a crime to panhandle, loiter on roads as homeless advocates cry foul https://t.co/NJKZblkE4G
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 28, 2023
“The police can ask them to leave and if they don’t leave, it’s a law just like your seatbelt law now,” said Republican Alabama state Rep. Reed Ingram according to Fox News.
“It’s about saving the people that are on the side of the road and saving people from having to go to prison if they hit one,” Ingram added, “We’ve had over 800 get killed in 2021 and so this is very important.”
The new law also allows officers to take offenders to crisis centers where they can receive proper assistance.
“This gives law enforcement the opportunity to be more aggressive about helping these people and protecting our citizens at the same time,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Ronda Walker.