Bend has a panhandling problem. It can be particularly problematic downtown, where tourists and city residents must walk by panhandlers with some regularity.

Thus it’s no surprise the Downtown Bend Business Association hopes to find a way to reduce the number of panhandlers downtown. Summer, in particular, draws tourists to the area and some fear panhandlers could persuade them to take their dollars elsewhere.

Yet as the city and merchants are learning, there’s no simple answer to the problem. Constitutional protections make banning panhandlers a dicey proposition, and police cannot and should not be expected to spend too much of their valuable time dealing with any but the most aggressive panhandlers.

Yet there are things that can be done.

The most effective may be a program to educate the public about panhandlers and panhandling and to provide alternatives for those who feel compelled to help directly. One tip: If you’re approached by a panhandler and don’t want to give money, treat him or her with courtesy, but be firm in your refusal to give.

Thus councilors heard a presentation Wednesday that focused on persuading people to give to charities that aid panhandlers and the homeless — not necessarily the same group — including Icon City with its BeRemedy text line, the Homeless Leadership Coalition and the Hunger Prevention Coalition. Icon City offers citizens a way to help directly, while gifts to the other two and to charities like the Family Kitchen make your money go further than it would in the hands of an individual panhandler.

According to one pamphlet from the U.S. Department of Justice, taking the reward out of panhandling may be the best way to reduce the problem, and Bend Police Sgt. Dan Ritchie echoes that. He has worked on ways to address the problems panhandlers can create, and he notes that most want cash and not much else. Bend, he says, has a reputation for being a good place to panhandle. If citizens were less generous, at least some of those begging downtown and elsewhere likely would be inclined to move on.

We encourage residents to find charities they support and help panhandlers that way.