accountability Public Comment from Bradford FenchakAimee Brunckhorst
From: e-mail <ckfeedflathead@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 4, 2023 2:22 PM
To: Kalispell City Council
Subject: EXTERNAL accountability
Dear council members,
There have been several angry posts regarding panhandling on this site.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/fIathead411.
From the community:
"These guys at Albertsons will follow you around your car until you give them something. I started ordering my groceries
online and picking them up instead."
"They followed my 17 year old daughter in Ross, then into TJ Max. They tried to grab her when she refused to talk with
them....
Then on another occasion 6-8 of them followed her and 4 friends around in Walmart then tried to trap them in the
Walmart parking lot! They are up to no good for sure."
"Carhartt guys is what the smith's employees referred to them as when a lady was having an issue with them on
February 19th."
"I was in Ross with my daughter and sister from about 11:45 to 12:15 and there was a group of approximately 8 guys.
One in every section of the store. We browse and two of them kept peeking over the aisles at us. When we went to the
check out 4 of them were standing by the doors. We have a call into KPD. Please be safe and aware of your
surroundings."
"4 to 6 guys wearing Carhart apparel following people outside the store and harassing them inside the stores. This is the
second or third incidence that I have heard of of these people don't seem to know who they are where they came from
but they seem to be up to trouble."
"Three of them were in the center divider between Lowes and Michels craft store shopping center."
"I work at smiths and normally will see them hangout at the green bus stop across the street from the whitefish credit
union and super in kalispell I ended up getting a taser for my safety just in case cause I get off around 6 at night."
"Now outside Verizon in Evergreen."
"Be careful everyone the carhart guys are between domino's and Walmart and Kalispell."
#intheknow #flathead411
You have to scroll to see comments. The comments also talk about traffic hazards from panhandlers. The first post
incited potshots with hopefully a pellet gun at homeless men. Those men were waiting to meet a service worker to
start intake into programs to help them be housed and part of society. They are not the ones pictured.
The posts express the expectation that violators of the law will be incarcerated. .
We and the panhandlers know that will not happen.The is no room in the jail for minor offenders.
By now you are aware that Sunburst Mental Health Services shut down entirely.
We need a drop in center to take pressure off citizens and merchants as well as provide access to services to get people
off the street. Most homeless people want help.
I am definitely in favor of fining people who stop traffic to give panhandlers money. Giving money to panhandlers is
easy for too many. They could help fund the needed drop in center. They could donate and/or volunteer with
organizations that are trying to help people. As long as the panhandlers get money they will remain in their destructive
lifestyles.
Realize there are no easy answers. Unfortunately the people on the street know jail time is not going to happen
unless they do something major. Somehow that seems unfair to the officers dispatched to address trespassing and
other minor violations.
Thank you for the economic/housing outlook report! Unfortunately the report highlights the ongoing need for
creativity and flexibility to alleviate the housing deficit.
Kalispell can figure out good answers for all involved. It will not be easy, We as a community can rise to this challenge.
Respectfully B Bradford Fenchak