CANTON – The man in ripped jeans and a dirty T-shirt on a local street corner asking for money may not be mentally stable.
Police Chief Jack Angelo wants residents to be safe but he also wants to keep that man from winding up behind bars.
Many panhandlers suffer from mental health issues that grow, becoming problematic for police while they're actually "dementia issues or simply a cry for help," he said.
The number of those suffering from a mental health crisis that draws police attention is on the rise, Angelo said.
Hoping to keep these people out of the criminal justice system, Angelo assigned detective Todd Gillilan, a 20-year veteran of the police department, to serve as a liaison between a "suspect" and the care that person needs.