Panhandlers an issue for motorists in Daytona Beach

Motorists traveling through Daytona Beach will likely spot a few panhandlers at many of the city's main intersections, even more than before.

Daytona Beach Police Chief Craig Capri said his hands are tied. He was told by the Assistant City Attorney Anthony Jackson that other cities across the city who enforced panhandling laws were violating protected First Amendment free speech rights of those who were begging for money.

" We don't want to violate anyone's rights. We get a lot of complaints and we tell people, we can't do anything about it," he said.

However, they can arrest or ticket panhandles for other illegal behavior.

"There are a lot of traffic issues when they are walking into traffic and blocking roadways, we can write them traffic citations for that," Chief Capri said.

Capri met with city leaders Thursday to discuss the issue.