County takes closer look at panhandlers

TAMPA - The sight of people begging for money on street corners has become very familiar to Bay Area drivers.

Tampa and Hillsborough County leaders are working to come up with a plan to curb panhandlers.

David Stapp has been living on the street, on and off for six years, and thinks it's a good idea.

He said he gave up on life after his wife of 18 years died. He eventually lost his home and turned to drugs.

He said he panhandled every day.

"It's easy, it was guaranteed money," he said.

But David candidly told us he never used the money for food.

"Mostly drugs and alcohol, cigarettes. There's no other way to get money and you want to drink. That's what you're going to, you're going to go out there and panhandle," he said.

David believes 90 percent of those on the street are on drugs or alcohol. He is now at New Beginnings transitional housing, a place that 70 men call home, for now.

David said none of the men he knew who were panhandling used the money for food, because free food from churches or other groups is so readily available.

"There's too many places in Tampa to get food, free. Saturdays and Sunday, there's breakfast, lunch, dinner, during the week, there's lunch and dinner, everywhere. If you go hungry in Tampa. there's something wrong with you," he said.

Many homeless advocates believe men like David are only part of the homeless population. They say they are men and women who truly have no other place to turn but the street, and that they are not on drugs or alcohol.

The advocates say there's just not enough resources to help these people. Pastor Tom Atchison of New Beginnings agrees more resources are needed. But he believes there are enough right now for those who are willing to seek help.

Atchison says everytime a driver gives someone money on the street, it only fuels their addiction.

"As long as they're panhandling and being able to buy their drugs and alcohol, they're comfortable out there. To me, they need to be 'not comfortable,' they need to know they need help," he said.

David Stapp is now getting the help -- but only because he says life on the streets isn't what it used to be.

"You can't panhandle anymore. That's why I'm where I'm at now. I was arrested six times last year for trespassing alone," he said.

Stapp said if he could panhandle with no one bothering him, he'd still be out there, feeding his addiction. He's now been forced to get help, and he's okay with that.

"It's a very good thing. I'm happy where I'm at," he says.

But he believes panhandling should be banned. And he says maybe it would get some more men to get the help they need.