Agencies Target Shreveport Panhandlers

Panhandling -- begging for money. It goes on all the time all over the country, but it's against the law in Shreveport.  

Downtown Development Authority Director Liz Swain says before you give money to a panhandler, think about re-directing your giving to one of the programs or agencies that works to help the homeless.

Swain says there's a list of those programs and agencies on the DDA's website. And she says if you should encounter a panhandler, call Shreveport police (673-7300) or the Caddo Sheriff's Office (675-2170) with a good location and description.