St. Augustine Citizens Against Panhandling

They’re so bad here that they are literally living in the woods at my apartment complex and rooting through the dumpster nightly!

NEW resident appalled at vagrants in area. Dream to retire in St.Augustine last year is a nightmare. No friends or family visits until cleaned up.

Yes, so true very unsafe, I live in a apartment complex and when I get off work real late when I close around 2-3 in the morning I see them digging in our dumpster, right outside my door across the parking lot is the woods and some of them live there. Just feet away from me and my children... They will make noises late at night when I'm walking from my car to my home. I carry mase to be safe. When I looked this place up online it said it was everything it's not. I can't go ANYWHERE with out seeing panhandlers out and about. And what kills me is their not alllll homeless... One that I see out all the time in different places actually lives in an apartment few doors down from me. He literally stands outside my job.. This needs to stop it is out of hand and I don't find it fair for us at all that we have to live/deal with this every where we go. :(

Vagrants should not have the right to block roads and sidewalks, harass the public, and leave their waste behind. I am a resident who doesn’t feel safe. I have witnessed drug deals, experienced harassment and seen the mess left behind, much of which falls into the category of biohazard. Do something to restore our town.

It is a disgrace the way the vagrants have taken over downtown and are popping up everywhere is all very embarrassing!! We won't even go downtown anymore. I can imagine most visitors that came this year won't be back. Something needs to be done. Safety and health are at risk.

Saint Augustine is a tourist destination and the vagrant situation is detracting from what our city has to offer it's visitors. Please don't wait for too much damage to be done to the reputation and image of our wonderful town to do something about this ridiculous situation. I hope that we can find a middle ground between helping the homeless and those in need and helping to save the appeal and beauty of our lovely city.

This has become a disgrace for our beautiful city. We need to get something done and get it done fast the businesses downtown I suffering

It’s getting out of hand downtown. Need to do something.

Lately I feel like the St Augustine officials are not doing enough to protect our great city from this influx of vagrants and panhandlers. We hardly ever go downtown now to go to dinner or just walk around. The tourist and locals as well will stop bringing their money. It just very sad that no one is doing anything to help preserve the historic significance of our hometown.

I live just outside the Historic City. Sadly, I no longer go in to town as I am a senior and just don't feel safe there. The change in the last 2 years is appalling. There are panhandlers EVERYWHERE. Every shopping center I go to, there is someone begging for money. Litter everywhere and homeless camps just off the road. For the few who want to get help, there are little to no services. Our beautiful town has been destroyed.

Yes, something needs to be done.

This issue needs to be dealt with!

It is absolutely amazing to me that City officials cannot see what is happening in St. Augustine. Do you really want this beautiful City to be the Premier Drug Hub of Northeast Florida???

The vagrant/homeless situation is destroying this town.

I watched a family here on vacation get chased out of a McDonald's by a drunk homeless man. There were about 7 in there all aggressive when asked to leave. I'm sure the rather large family will never vacation in st Augustine again.

City officials need to Take Action! If you’re afraid of that ,then you need to Resign! The local residents have Spoken!

I feel it makes our town look trashy and run down. And I feel it will chase the tourist away.

I live & work downtown. This must be taken care of. Our town is becoming unsafe for locals & tourists with these aggressive panhandlers.

This is my 50th year living in the St. Augustine Vicinity, and I am a tour guide working downtown. Panhandling is/has become a business just like any other and should be treated as such. The 11 district Federal Judge got it wrong and this can be corrected with the proper approach. The issue is not about being homeless, it is about being a leech, lazy, and begging. These are people addicted to alcohol and drugs who would rather drink or get high than get a job and simply PREY upon unsuspecting people don't know where their "donations" are really going. This "high" and "intoxicated" persons become a health risk to themselves and the general public by being unclean, unsanitary, and indignant to any normal persons sensibilities. This must be corrected and our legislatures need to step in. St. Augustine is the nations oldest city and should set the example of fair enforcement of laws. Education, outreach, and treatment for those willing to seek help. If they choses not to get thelp..then they need to go somewhere else where the unsuspecting tourists and population are safe from the panhandlers preditary practices.

This vagrancy problem is causing serious harm to our city. Something MUST be done NOW!