**Raleigh Enacts New Ordinance to Curb Roadway Panhandling, Citing Safety Concerns**

**RALEIGH, NC** – The City of Raleigh has enacted a new ordinance aimed at cracking down on panhandling in city streets and medians, a move officials say is designed to protect the safety of the entire community. The measure was passed last month to address what the city describes as the illegal and dangerous nature of soliciting from roadways.

The new city-level rule reinforces existing state law, which already makes panhandling illegal on North Carolina roadways. Raleigh’s ordinance provides a specific local tool to address the issue within city limits.

Mayor Janet Cowell explained the city’s rationale, emphasizing a dual focus on individual rights and public welfare.

“I think we’re trying to protect rights, but then also protect the safety of the entire community,” Cowell stated in an interview with WTVD-TV.

The primary motivation behind the ordinance is to mitigate the dangers inherent in interactions between pedestrians and vehicles in high-traffic areas. The mayor detailed the wide range of individuals the city seeks to protect through this measure.

The safety concerns apply to “both the individuals actually panhandling, but also pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, anyone that is out there in the traffic of a big, congested city,” Cowell said.

With the ordinance now in effect, the city is taking a direct approach to curb what it has identified as a significant public safety issue on its streets.