RAPIDS, LEON HENDRICK, "24
HOUR NEWS 8".
IT HAS BEEN THREE MONS NOW
SINCE A YOUNG DECLARED PAN
HANDLING LEGALLY IN MICHIGAN
AND YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED MORE
OF THOSE STREETING ABOUTERS
ARE ASKING FOR YOUR MONEY ALL
OVER TOWN.
IN ONE WEST MICHIGAN COUNTY
THERE IS A WARNING OUT
TELLING YOU TO KEEP YOUR
CASH.
TARGET 8 WANTED TO KNOW THE
TRUTH BE HEAP THOSE SAD FACES
AND THE PLEADING SIGNS.
TARGET 8 INVESTIGATOR KEN
KOLKER FOLLOWED THE PANED
HANDLERS TO FIND OUT HOW
ACCURATE ARE THOSE SIGNS THEY
CARRY.
SHOW INTO BECAUSE PEOPLE
ARE OUT HERE THAT DON'T NEED
TO BE OUT HERE.
Reporter: BUT WAIT, THIS
IS JAME, THE AREA'S BEST
THE MAN WHOSE LAWSUIT MADE
BEGGING LEGAL IN MICHIGAN.
TODAY, HE WORKED 131 IN
WYOMING AND SAYS HE IS TRYING
TO MAKE ENOUGH SO HE DOESN'T
HAVE TO SLOPE OUTSIDE.
SINCE HE WON THE LAWSUIT, WE
FOUND THAT BEGGING HAS BECOME
A GROWTH INDUSTRY.
HERE.
Reporter: IT LED TO ALERT
IN OTTAWA CONTHINK ABOUT A
GROUP WORKING THE JENISON
AREA AND MAKING GOOD MONEY.
WHEN THEY WERE ASKED TO
MOVE ON.
THEY ACTUALLY USE THE CELL
PHONE AND HAD SOMEBODY PICK
THEM UP IN A FAIRLY NEW AND
SHARP VEHICLE.
TODAY, A MINUTE AFTER WE
SPOTTED A PANHANDLER IN
JENISON.
A DEPUTY PULLED UP.
THAT IS ALL THE PANHANDLER
NEEDED.
TROY HAS SUCH A LONG
CRIMINAL RECORD OF BURGLARY,
DRUGS AND FRAUD THAT HE SAYS
HE CANNOT GET A JOB.
IS THIS ACCURATE?
I CAME HERE.
I DON'T WANT MY LITTLE MAN
TO LOOK AT HIS DAD AS A GY
STAND ON THE CORNER.
Reporter: HE SAYS HE WORKS
ALONE BEGGING TO FEED HIS
FAMILY AND KEEP THEM IN THE
GRAND RAPIDS APARTMENT.
HE SAID HE MADE $6 BEFORE WE
PULLED UP.
THAT IS NICE CAR.
YOU GOT IT FOR $450.
I GOT A CELL PHONE.
OBAMA PHONE.
IT GET FREE MINUTE MINUTES.
A FEW MILES EAST AT 28th
STREET AND EAST BELTLINE.
MY LIFE PIRRALLED OUT OF
CONTROL ABLE REALLY NEEDED
THE MONEY TO, YOU KNOW, TO
EAT AND HAVE SOMEWHERE TO
SLEEP AT NIGHT THAT IS WARM.
IT IS LEGAL NOW.
SO I FELT WHAT BET ARE WAY
TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SOME
MONEY, SINCE IT IS LEGAL.
SHE SAYS, SHE IS 7 MONTHS'
FLEN AND SHE AND HER HUSBAND
CAN'T FIND WORK AND THEY
SOMETIMES STAY WITH FRIENDS.
IF I MAKE ENOUGH, I WILL STAY
AT MOTEL.
SHE KNOWS SOME PANHANDLERS
WORK TOGETHER TAKING TURNS ON
CORNERS AND NOT HAPPY SHE IS
TANGING THAT CORNER.
A THEY TRI TELLING ME THIS IS
THEIR CORNER AND THEY HAVE
BEEN HERE FOR, YOU KNOW, SUCH
AND SUCH MONTH, AND, UM, I
DON'T KNOW IF THEY TRI TO
CLAN THE CORNER, I GUESS, IF
THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.
VERY TERRITORIAL, BUT IT IS
IN FRONT OF TARGET IN CASCADE
TOWNSHIP THAT COMPETITION IS
STIFFEST.
ALMOST A PANHANDLER'S
DRIVE-THRU.
TODAY WE ONCE THE SHIFT
CHANGE A.M. WE TAKE TURNS.
YEAH.
RIGHT NOW, IT WILL BE HIS
TURN.
HE SAYS HE IS LAID OFF AND
COMMUTES FROM THE HOME IN
PLAINFIELD TOWNSHIP.
HE SAYS ITS MY TURN.
IT AM NOT ARGUING.
HE ITS YOUR TURN, IS YOUR
TURN.
IT IS THAT WE WATCHED FOR TWO
HOURS AS AT LEAST 30
PANHANDLER.
WATCHING.
THERE WAS NO CELL PHONE, NO
CAR WAITING FOR HIM.
WE FOLLOWED AS HE WALKED DOWN
28 TO A BUS STOP THEN TO
WOODLAND MALL THEN ON A
STATION.
FINALLY, A BUS TO THE WEST
SIDE.
THREE BUSES IN A FOUR BLOCK
WALK TO UPSTAIRS APARTMENT.
I AM LIVING W WEEK TO WEEK
SOMEWHERE.
THIS IS MY BROTHER'S PLACE.
ON A STREET CORNER.
CHUCK CAN MAKE $50 A DAY.
CHANGE.
I DON'T LIKE DOING IT.
IT IS EMBARRASSING TO ME.
BUY GOT TO DO SOMETHING.
PROFESSION.
IN THAT.
HE HAS HAD MINOR RUN-INS
CANNOT FIND A JOB AND HAS
NOT PAYING CHILD SUPPORT.
WILE GET TO CRYING.
8".
OTTAWA DEPUTIES TELLS THAT
YOU GEORGETOWN TOWNSHIP IS
STUDYIING WHETHER TO MAKE
BEGGING ILLEGAL BECAUSE IT