A person holding a sign walks along a Marine Corps Drive median near the Micronesia Mall in Dededo on March 1, 2023.
HAGÅTÑA (The Guam Daily Post) — About a month has passed since the attorney general urged the community to report panhandlers, which since then has led to panhandlers being warned, cited and even arrested.
Last month, Attorney General Douglas Moylan announced Guam’s panhandling law, the Aggressive Panhandling Act of 2013, shall be actively enforced at all road intersections. His office also promoted a telephone number, listed on its website, to report violators.
The Guam Daily Post asked Moylan on Wednesday about the initiative he started during the first few months of his term. He said, since it’s been established, there have been fewer reports.
“It’s been very good,” said Moylan. “Originally, when we first started, we would probably be receiving about, I want to say, eight photos (a day) of individuals that were in different parts of the island. And now, (there are) maybe just one or two.”
Moylan explained a communication network was established with the Guam Police Department. It would prompt officers to respond to reports of panhandling and, initially, the violators would be warned before possibly being cited.
According to Guam law, panhandlers could face a $250 fine for the first offense and $500 for any subsequent violations.
However, despite the fact that the law does not make panhandling a criminal offense, police officers have ended up making arrests during their responses.
“I know that we’ve actually made multiple arrests. So we’ve not only issued citations or warnings, but we’ve actually gone to the extent of making arrests,” said police Chief Stephen Ignacio.
The Post was also able to obtain statistics related to the panhandling initiative from GPD spokesperson Officer Berlyn Savella, which showed there have been exactly four arrests out of 65 calls that reported panhandling.
The remaining numbers detail that 22 of the calls were unfounded, 38 resulted in counseling and removal of the individual(s) from within the highways, and one call led to a citation, according to Savella.
Changing Locations
The four-way intersection by the ITC building is one location where panhandlers can be seen standing on the medians with signs and approaching motorists for money.
Tamuning-Tumon-Harmon Mayor Louise Rivera told the Post that, since the initiative began, there has been a reduction from her perspective, but some issues still remain.
“It has really improved. It’s not like before where it’s every single one, but the other issues we’re facing now, we’re seeing those same panhandlers be outside a restaurant or a store collecting there now,” said Rivera.
Moylan also explained an issue he has been seeing with reporting from motorists.
“What we’ve noticed from the AG’s office perspective … is that when motorists at these intersections actually pull their cellphones out and photograph them, the panhandlers are running because they know that when they get their face identified, when the police go over there, they’re getting tickets,” said Moylan. “They’re literally hiding, so they don’t get identified.”
Homeless encampments
In relation to the initiative to remove panhandlers from road medians, Moylan also last month launched an effort to relocate people who are homeless and living in encampments, such as the one located near Micronesia Mall.
That encampment, in fact, was the first location. A total of 10 homeless people were staying there, and a multi-agency effort resulted in three of them receiving assistance.
When asked about other locations of homeless encampments to potentially be looked at, Moylan said it is up to Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio to call a meeting that will bring the AG’s office, GPD and the Mayors’ Council of Guam together to discuss the issue further.
In the meantime, Moylan added his office has been receiving information about encampments from the community, which they are using to investigate and assist in deciding the next location.
