LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin issued the following statement today:
“Loitering in and around public roadways, intersections, and traffic stops has grown to an unacceptable level. Anyone who has spent time in Arkansas’s larger municipalities over the past few years has undoubtedly had to watch out for people walking into the street, putting everyone’s safety at risk. Residents of our cities routinely drive by intersections, sidewalks, and parking lots where people have left all kinds of trash behind after loitering there for hours.
“We have a law that addresses this, but it’s not being enforced. So today I am calling on local law enforcement, and municipal and county leaders to begin enforcing our state’s loitering statute. Act 255 of 2023 fixed the previous constitutional issues with the statute by removing the language at issue, and our law now prohibits individuals from loitering in a harassing or threatening manner, in a way likely to cause alarm to another person, or under circumstances that create a traffic hazard or impediment. This law is constitutionally sound, and local law enforcement should enforce it.
“Federal courts have established that panhandling, by itself, is protected by the First Amendment, and I absolutely respect those decisions. It’s one thing to simply ask people for help. It’s a very different thing to ignore and disregard the laws that keep our streets safe and orderly.
“My office stands ready to help enforce our loitering statute.”
