A Salmon Arm City councillor thinks she has a way to reduce panhandling in the city without the need for fines.

Sylvia Lindgren believes that humanizing panhandlers will build trust, which could lead to them reaching out for help more often.

“Connecting them with businesses downtown asking if they would maybe display their name, their photo, their bio and have a collection jar out so that people could donate there and that panhandler would no longer have the need to hang out in front of the store where it’s a bit scary for some people,” she said.

Lindgren was the only vote against the new Salmon Arm bylaw that can now fine people $50 for panhandling on city streets.

“There’s a lot of concern that if we give them money, they are going to use it for drugs. But it shouldn’t be our primary focus and if we stopped giving them money, they won’t consequently stop doing drugs. They’ll just find other ways to get it, and some of them will be worse than panhandling like stealing or vandalism.”

As for her next steps, Lindgren says she brought the issue to the council table in the past.

“The next step is to meet with our Downtown Salmon Arm Association to see if there is some support there and to see if there is a way we can connect with business owners to see if there is support from them,” Lindgren noted. “I think that’ll be the next logical step.”

Salmon Arm council voted in favour of the bylaw in May, and last week, implemented the $50 fine, which officials say would only be used as a last resort.