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Median barriers to deter panhandling won’t make a difference, says local who works in Surrey’s city centre

SURREY (NEWS 1130) – Some people in Surrey say a new push to prevent panhandling is destined for failure.

The impact of poverty is a constant challenge along King George Boulevard.

In order to deal with the issue along busy routes like King George Boulevard, Surrey’s Downtown Business Improvement Association has suggested the city erect some kind of barrier along medians to keep people from asking for money so close to the road — an idea that’s been picked up by a city councilor.

Walking around the alley behind Roundup Cafe where she works, Tanya Abendroth says some suggestions, like fences — which have been put up around parts of the business — just won’t do anything to keep people away.

“It’s not going to make any difference, fencing, if you look back here where all the housing is back here that they’ve put up just recently, they’ve cut holes in the fences — they go right through it,” she says. “They don’t want to walk around to where they’re supposed to be going in and out of, they cut holes in the fence.”

Fencing is still an idea a Surrey city councillor is looking to pursue. Abendroth says simply, it won’t work.

“That’s not going to help through bushes, anything like that, they’re just going to knock it down, that’s just a waste of taxpayers’ money,” she says.

Advocates, meanwhile, say if you really want to keep people from asking for money on the sidewalks, look to tackle poverty, first.

Abendroth agrees, though in 44 years of working in the area, she says she hasn’t seen the problem get any better.

“We’ve basically stopped them from coming in and asking people for cigarettes or money — they’re always around, they’re never going to stop,” Abendroth adds.

Dave Diewert with Alliance Against Displacement has said the suggestion to add fencing on medians at Surrey’s busy intersections is “absurd” and a “non-solution.”

“If we could solve the issue of poverty and massive inequality in our society, then people wouldn’t be on the medians asking for money,” he said.

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