Branson Police are requesting that people not give money to panhandlers on the side of the road.
Signs posted by police encourage giving to local charities instead of to panhandlers directly. The idea behind the new campaign is to reduce traffic risks.
Since police cannot outlaw panhandling, they say they are looking to reduce the rates of accidents associated with the practice. Several homeless people say they feel attacked by the signs. The signs have been posted for about two months so far, but there has been no notable decrease in the number of panhandlers.
