Atlanta Approves Panhandling Ordinance

October 2,2012

Atlanta's city council has approved a new ordinance aimed at cracking down on aggressive panhandling.

The council's unanimous vote Monday night comes after Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed vetoed an earlier measure.

Under the new ordinance, panhandlers would be forbidden from soliciting people for money within 15 feet of a building entrance or exit and repeatedly harassing a person after being rejected.

Anyone caught aggressively panhandling would go to jail for 30 days after the second offense; and 90 days after the third conviction.