City of Davis struggles to rein in panhandling

Dino Tramontini has been visiting downtown Davis multiple times a week for years, and he said there have always been homeless people in the city. But while most homeless people in Davis previously were "harmless," he said, some are now more threatening.

In recent visits downtown, Tramontini said he and his wife have had to avoid certain areas because of aggressive panhandlers or belongings blocking public walkways. His wife was shocked after a panhandler ran up to her and demanded she give him money, he said.

Tramontini said he wants homeless people in Davis to be treated humanely and fairly, but he also wants to feel safe with his family downtown.

"It's a shame that there are so many people who aren't being taken care of that they're reduced to panhandling," he said. "Having said that, its really been a detriment to the experience here."

Tramontini is one of many Davis residents who sees the growing homeless population downtown as an issue. A city survey found that panhandling was a top concern for downtown business owners and residents in the college town, who said it posed a public safety hazard. Business owners said the practice is hurting business and costing them money.

The city did not provide a current estimate of how many homeless people there are in Davis today. Figures from the Yolo County Homeless Count in 2015 suggest the population is tiny compared with Sacramento and smaller than that of West Sacramento or Woodland. A total of 131 homeless people were counted one night in January 2015, including 52 who lacked shelter.

Despite the relatively low numbers, some business owners say the homeless are a visible — and costly — presence in the city's downtown.

Lynne and Randy Yackzan, who own a downtown parking garage, said public defecation and urination costs them $60,000 each year in cleaning costs, in addition to the cost of hiring security personnel for their properties.

Randy Yackzan said he has been harassed by panhandlers downtown in the past, and that their daughter, who owns a downtown fitness studio, has had men stand outside the studio and sexually harass women during yoga classes and come in and demand to use the restroom.

"It would be great for me to be putting money toward (a solution) instead of toward cleaning up after folks," Lynne Yackzan said.

Davis City Council members looked at different options last Tuesday to address business owners' concerns. They also took pains to say they don't want to criminalize homelessness.