The City of Phoenix needs to remain committed to addressing the needs of the homeless population and the working poor.  At the same time there is need to ensure that ordinances are passed to address unsafe conduct.  In October the Public Safety and Veterans Subcommittee unanimously recommended the City Council approve an amendment to City Code 36-128 that adds language prohibiting pedestrians from stopping or remaining in traffic island or median except to wait to cross the roadway.

The ordinance reads “No pedestrian may stop or remain in the portion of the roadway designed for vehicular use, or in a painted or raised traffic island or median not designated for use by pedestrians except to wait to cross the roadway at the next pedestrian signal, or in the absence of a pedestrian signal, when traffic has cleared or yielded”

It was approved at the November 19th City Council meeting; the ordinance will go into effect immediately.   Councilman Bill Gates says he voted to approve the ordinance as a step towards ensuring pedestrian safety.

Councilman Bill Gates said “I do not want the quality of life in our neighborhoods to deteriorate because of blight and increased traffic safety issues created by people loitering in our medians”

The changes to the ordinance would not be enforced on individuals who had a legitimate reason to be there such as city and utility company workers, contractors, or landscapers.

Enforcement has begun as police officers are handing out warnings for a first offense. After the first offence violators can be issued a fine up to $250. For more on enforcement read here.

As far as Panhandling or Solicitation it is legal in most parts of the city.

Panhandling or solicitation is asking a person for money, or asking them to buy goods or services from you.  You can solicit verbally or with a sign.

However “aggressive solicitation” is illegal in Phoenix.  Aggressive solicitation can be defined as:

• Continued soliciting a person, from a distance of 10 feet or less, after they verbally ask you to stop.

• Touching a person without their consent.

• Following a person in a way that intimidates them or
makes them fear bodily harm.

• Physically blocking a person’s path, or making them
change their path or the path of their vehicle, in order to
avoid running into you.

• Using obscene or abusive language or gestures with
the person.

• Soliciting a person within 15 feet of an ATM or the
entrance or exit of a bank.

• Soliciting a person on a bus, on a train, or within 10
feet of a bus or train stop.

For more information see the Phoenix City Code section 23-7 on aggressive solicitation.

Every day, more than 3,500 kids will leave home due to a variety of reasons, including abuse, neglect, family conflict, homelessness, and more.  Safe Place is a national youth outreach program that educates thousands of young people every year about the dangers of running away or trying to resolve difficult, threatening situations on their own.

Safe Place creates a network of Safe Place locations — schools, fire stations, libraries, grocery and convenience stores, public transit, YMCAs and other appropriate public buildings – that display the yellow and black diamond-shaped Safe Place sign. These locations extend the doors of the youth service agency or emergency shelter throughout the community. Youth can easily access immediate help wherever they are.

Since 1991, QuikTrip has been a designated Safe Place, where runaways and at-risk youth can come in off the street, receive food and drink, and wait for a volunteer from a Safe Place agency partner to connect them with professional help or a place to stay until their situation is resolved.  Another location near N 32 neighborhood is Mesquite Library at Paradise Valley Mall in Phoenix.  Teens can look for the bright yellow sign and wait there until a Safe Place worker can assist them.

A Safe Place Sign

Should a youth need assistance, they can depend on any location with the Safe Place sign. The following steps describe how Safe Place is intended to work:

Step One – The youth arrives at a designated Safe Place location (identified by a Safe Place sign or decal) and tells the first available employee that they need help.

Step Two – The employee finds a quiet, comfortable place for the youth to wait while they call the local Safe Place agency.

Step Three – The Safe Place agency calls the location back to identify a trained representative who will come to meet the young person at the location.

Step Four – Within 20-30 minutes or less, the Safe Place volunteer or staff member will arrive to talk with the youth and transport them to the agency, if necessary, for counseling, support, a place to stay or other resources.

Step Five – Once at the Safe Place agency, counselors meet with the youth and provide support, resources and help. Family members or guardians are called to let them know that their child is safe. Agency staff make sure the youth and their families receive the help and professional referrals they need.

For more information about Safe Place or how you can help visit  nationalsafeplace.org.