Mayor 's Work Group on Panhandling Northampton, MA Form

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AND I'M CIARA SPELLER. CIARA: NORTHAMPTON RECENTLY ASKED RESIDENTS ABOUT WHAT'S RIGHT AND WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE CITY'S DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. BARRY AS WE HEAR FROM 22NEWS REPORTER MIKE MASCIADRELLI, THERE WAS A LOT OF AGREEMENT ON ONE PARTICULAR ISSUE. MIKE MASCIADRELLI: MOST OF THE PEOPLE SAID PANHANDLING IS DOWNTOWN NORTHAMPTON'S BIGGEST PROBLEM. NORTHAMPTON SURVEYED MORE THAN 5,000 PEOPLE FROM THE CITY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. THEY WERE ASKED HOW OFTEN THEY VISITI, WHAT DRAWS THEM TO THE AREA, AND WHAT CONCERNS THEM. MOST SAID PANHANDLING WAS THE BIGGEST ISSUE. MAYOR DAVID NARKEWICZ SAID PANHANDLING INDICATES OTHER PROBLEMS IN SOCIETY. MAYOR DAVID NARKEWICZ: NORTHAMPTON THE REPORT GOES DEEPER INTO THE SOCIAL ISSUES BEHIND THIS. BECAUSE PANHANDLING IS THE FACE OF IT, BUT THERE ARE LARGER ISSUES AROUND MENTAL HEALTH, AROUND POVERTY , AROUND DRUG ABUSE. WE CAN'T PRETEND THOSE DONT EXIST, THOSE ARE AT PLAY. MIKE MASCIADRELLI: MAYOR NARKEWICZ RECENTLY CREATED A "PANHANDLING WORK GROUP",