Consumer Justice Investigates Network Of Professional Panhandlers

RIGHT NOW AT 10:00, PROBLEM PANHANDLERS. TODAY CITY COUNCIL REJECTED A PROPOSAL TO PAY PANHANDLERS FOR DAY LABOR. MANY TIMES THE PEOPLE BEHIND THOSE SIGNS ASKING FOR YOUR MONEY AREN’T ALWAYS WHAT THEY SEEM. TONIGHT A CONSUMER JUSTICE INVESTIGATION REVEALS A NETWORK IN FACT, OF PROFESSIONAL PANHANDLERS MAKING A LOT OF MONEY EACH DAY. THIS IS AN ORGANIZATION AND IT’S DEFINITELY BEING ORGANIZED WITH ORGANIZED OPERATION. CARS ON A SCHEDULE CARRYING PEOPLE TO THE SAME CORNER. AND THE PANHANDLERS WE SPOKE TO TREAT THIS AS A JOB AND CAN MAKE SOME GOOD MONEY DOING IT. AROUND 11:00 A CAR WILL STOP. A CAR STOPS, LETS OUT THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE. THEY SEEM TO GO TO THEIR STATIONINGS. AND THEN I’VE ALSO WITNESSED THE CAR RETURN AND BRING FOOD AND SUPPLIES. SO IT IS VERY, VERY ORGANIZED WHAT’S GOING ON. Reporter: IT’S THE SAME FACES, AT THE SAME CORNER OF NORTHWEST HIGHWAY IN THE DALLAS NORTH TOLLWAY. A WOMAN WITH A CANE SAYS SHE’S HOMELESS PLEASE HELP. I CAN COME OUT HERE AND WORK FOR TWO HOURS AND MAKE $75. Reporter: A STUDENT WHO NEEDS FOOD FOR HER THREE KIDS. A SINGLE DAD,. HOW MUCH DO YOU MAKE OUT HERE? HOW MUCH ON A GOOD DAY? MAYBE 80. SOMETIMES 160. AND AT LEAST TWO OTHERS. THEY USE LEN CRITCHERT’S PROPERTY AS A REST AREA. AND A RESTROOM IN BETWEEN SHIFTS. I DROVE BY ONE TIME AND SAW SOMEONE USING THE RESTROOM ON A TREE OF MINE. Reporter: THAT’S NOT WHAT BOTHERS LEN THE MOST. IF THESE WERE REALLY PEOPLE WHO NEEDED HELP, I WOULD BE ALL FOR IT. LET’S GIVE AND GIVE AND GIVE. BUT WHEN IT’S ORGANIZED THAT’S WHAT BOTHERS ME. Reporter: HOME BOUND HELPS PEOPLE OVERCOME ADDICTION. HE SAYS MOST PANHANDLERS AREN’T THE HOMELESS. AND WHEN YOU GIVE THEM MONEY. JUST ASSUME YOU’RE BUYING DRUGS FOR THEM. THOSE ORGANIZERS OF THE RINGS ARE BUYING THE DRUGS AND ALCOHOL AND REAPING THE PROFITS. Reporter: WE WANTED TO TALK TO THE DRIVER OF THIS BLACK LINCOLN. WE SPOTTED THEM DROPPING THESE PANHANDLERS AND MEETING TWO OTHERS. OUR PRODUCER SAW HIM ON THE ROAD AND THEN, LOST SIGHT OF HIM. WE WERE FOLLOWING HIM. THIS MAY BE HIM COMING OUT. YOU THINK THIS IS HIM. YES, THAT IS HIM. SO HE WENT INTO A STEAK HOUSE AND STOPPED AND NOW HE’S GOING THE OPPOSITE WAY. BUT HE LOST US IN MINUTES. ALMOST LIKE HE’S TRYING TO THROW OFF ANYONE WHO MIGHT KNOW WHAT HE’S DOING. Reporter: WE ALSO SPOTTED THIS GRAY KIA DROPPING OFF PANHANDLERS ON SEVERAL DIFFERENT DAYS. THE CAR’S LICENSE PLATE LED US TO THIS HOME IN RICHARDSON AND A MAN NAMED BRENT. I DROP OFF TWO FRIENDS. Reporter: HE ADMITS HE GIVES THEM RIDES BUT SAYS HE DIDN’T KNOW WHAT THEY DID. JUST DOESN’T SEEM TO MAKE SENSE THAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW THAT THEY WERE PANHANDLING IF YOU DROP THEM OFF AT THE SAME CORNER. I DID NOT KNOW THEY WERE PANHANDLING. SO WE WENT TO THE PANHANDLERS TO GET ANSWERS. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO DO THIS? TO BE HONEST, IT’S FAST AND EASY. Reporter: THE COUPLE ADMITS THEY LOST CUSTODY OF THEIR FIVE CHILDREN. THEY’RE IN THEIR 20s AND LATE TEENS NOW. Reporter: THEY SAY THEY’RE BOTH DISABLED AND CAN’T GET JOBS. FIRST THEY SAID THEY WORK ALONE. THEN THEY SAID THEY’RE PART OF A COMMUNITY. WE’RE PART OF THE PANHANDLING GROUP YEAH. WE DON’T SPLIT OUR MONEY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT WITH ANYBODY. Reporter: WHEN WE ASKED HIM ABOUT THE MAN WITH THE BLACK LINCOLN. THE GUY THAT DROPS YOU OFF DO YOU KNOW THEM. NO WE DON’T KNOW THEM. THEY JUST SAID SOMETHING ABOUT A BABY AND WE WANTED TO SEE THE BABY. Reporter: WHILE WE DID SEE MICHAEL GIVE SOMETHING TO THE DRIVER WE DIDN’T SEE A BABY. ARE YOU OUT HERE, DO YOU MAKE MONEY FOR DRUGS? NO, IT’S FOR FOOD. Reporter: BUT THIS POLICE REPORT FROM AUGUST SHOWS MICHAEL TOLD OFFICERS HE’S A HEROIN ADDICT. HE’S BEEN CITED 61 TIMES FOR PANHANDLING. SHE’S BEEN CITED 47 TIMES FOR PANHANDLING. WHO DROPS YOU OFF EVERY DAY. A FRIEND OF MINE. I PAID HIM FOR A RIDE. IS THAT BRENT. NO. BECAUSE ONE OF THE CARS WENT BACK TO THAT BRENT. NO BRENT IS MY FRIEND. Reporter: SHE SAYS SHE SOMETIMES PAYS THE DRIVERS FOR RIDES. AND PANHANDLES FOR A ROOM. Reporter: DO YOU PANHANDLED FOR DRUGS. NO I USED TO BUT NOT NOW. I THINK ALL PANHANDLERS HAVE THEIR SPOT AND THIS IS MY SPOT. Reporter: A SPOT CRITCHERT BELIEVES THEY WILL NEVER LEAVEING IN THE CITY DOES SOMETHING. THERE’S SO MANY WONDERFUL WAYS TO GIVE IN THIS CITY. BUT GIVE TO THINGS THAT YOU KNOW WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING. THIS IS NOT WHAT IT APPEARS TO BE. WE ASKED DALLAS POLICE IF THE DEPARTMENT IS STILL CRACKING DOWN ON PANHANDLERS AND WE’RE TOLD THAT THAT INITIATIVE IS OVER. THAT OFFICERS WILL ADDRESS VIOLATIONS. SO YOU MENTIONED THE CITY COUNCIL WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AT THE TOP. WE REJECTED THE PROPOSAL. WILL THESE PEOPLE EVEN GO FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. IF THEY WERE OFFERED A JOB FOR DAY LABOR. I ASKED THEM THE SAME QUESTION, THEY SAID YES. AND I ASKED THE ADVOCATES AND