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Handouts won’t help

Editor: Saturday at noon, I watched two aggressive panhandlers assault a pedestrian near 24 Avenue and King George Boulevard.

Editor:

Saturday at noon, I watched two aggressive panhandlers assault a pedestrian near 24 Avenue and King George Boulevard.

They swarmed, chased after and then repeatedly kicked the man who was half their size.

I called the police, outraged at what I saw. The police came, as I watched I saw no fines for panhandling.

I made a complaint to the RCMP about how the situation was handled. The officer assured me there was nothing they could do and “the panhandling fine is worth the paper it was written on for the specific individuals in question.”

So, being filled in on the law and the way the RCMP hands are tied, I returned Sunday and was going about my business, when I saw one of the two panhandling individuals back out there.

I decided to have my peaceful protest in the street further up from where the panhandler was. My sign said: “Do NOT give $ to violent junky panhandlers.”

I plan to get out my sign and peacefully protest each and every time I see them on the street.

Be careful, pedestrians. When encountering the two, they are violent. While I waited for the police, I watched one follow and scream at a man in his 40s and scream at cars passing by.

Please, stop enabling people. Donate to your food bank, if they’re hungry they will go there.

K. Harper, Surrey