Springfield Mayor Jim Langfelder has directed Springfield police to begin moving panhandlers off of medians… even though there has still been no movement on an ordinance to codify the rules about approaching vehicles and asking for money at busy intersections.
That ordinance has been on hold for weeks because of a threatened legal challenge that such a rule would infringe on free speech. But Langfelder says it’s ultimately a public safety issue, and believes police have the authority to make people leave the median if they appear to be encroaching on traffic, or if staying there poses a danger to the individual or to drivers.
Langfelder says each situation will be up to the officer’s discretion, and it’s unclear if police have yet implemented the mayor’s policy.
