Panhandling and Policy
I have been watching an aggressive panhandler, sometimes with a second person, approach and threaten people (mostly old ladies, young girls, and tourists) at the corner of Church and Chambers Streets in New York City for the past month or so. While a nuisance, and problematic for the people he threatens, this is not terribly unusual in large cities although does seem to have become more prevalent based on what are likely a number of factors (including notably a down economy and a change in police enforcement). The problem in this case though, is that an NYPD police officer directs traffic at this intersection every day, watches and ignores what’s happening. What I’m observing unfold plays itself out similarly in every information security department in every company on a daily basis.
