Poll: Should begging be classed as a crime?

West Midlands Police will be targeting aggressive beggars who intimidate shoppers and workers in the city and refuse to stop or get help after being warned.

It is part of Birmingham Police's attempts to make the city centre a safer place to live, work and visit.

The crackdown has been launched after public perception surveys highlighted begging as the biggest issue for people in the city and an issue which has a big impact on them and businesses in the area.

People caught begging are, in the first instance, referred to local agencies and charities who can help them get off the streets and back on their feet.

Persistent beggars however will be arrested and dealt with through the criminal justice system.

PC Lee Howard said: "We know that beggars on the streets of Birmingham can make people feel intimidated and threatened. Officers in plain-clothes are carrying out dedicated patrols to identify offenders, who will then be signposted to charities such as the nearby Swanswell charity, Midland Heart and Streetlink organisation.

"We do want to help beggars, many of whom battle drug, alcohol or gambling addictions, however if a person refuses to get help and continues to beg, they face the prospect of being arrested and put before court."

The crackdown is part of Operation Engage, the on-going police and partner initiative which has been running over two years to tackle the issue.

As well as tackling aggressive begging, officers are also asking people to report passive begging, which is when a beggar doesn't ask for money but instead sits where there is a high footfall of people, such as in doorways, subways and by cash machines.

Police can apply for anti-social behaviour orders for prolific offenders but need members of the public who witness the begging to come forward so that they can demonstrate the impact on the community before court.

PC Howard added: "We also need people to let us know if they see passive beggars in the city centre- the beggars think that if they just sit on the floor and don't actually ask for cash but place themselves in a position to receive it they are not committing a crime. However this is not the case, begging in any sense is a crime and we know from what people are telling us that it's something they want to see tackled.

"Ultimately, begging is an offence and it is clearly having an impact on people and businesses in the city centre; there's only so much help we can offer people before we have to take other action."

To encourage more people to report passive beggars to police, special contact cards will be handed out by officers to shoppers and commuters, with a dedicated email address for reporting incidents.

Members of the public are also being urged to think about alternatives to donating cash to beggars in the city centre, which is often used to feed an addiction.

Charity Street Link, offers the public a means to act when they see someone sleeping rough by enabling them to alert the local authority. They can be contacted via their app, online at www.streetlink.org.uk or on 0300 500 0914.

Anyone who needs to report passive begging can email operationengage@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk telling police where you saw the beggar and how it made you feel or call on our non-emergency number 101.