Man Says Panhandlers Prowl His Fort Worth Neighborhood

An East Fort Worth man is knocking on doors of his own to warn neighbors about door-to-door panhandlers.

Mike Phipps said several panhandlers have come to his door in the last few months after 11 p.m.

Police said the increase of panhandling in residential areas may be a direct result of a crackdown on along the East Lancaster Avenue corridor.

Phipps said he's going door-to-door in his West Meadowbrook neighborhood to give his neighbors information on what to do if a panhandler shows up on their doorstep.

"I've sent out about 400 e-mails warning people," he said.

Phipps said he's concerned that homes are being scoped out and that criminal activity such as burglaries and robberies may eventually follow.

He said nearly everyone he talks to has similar stories about panhandlers.

His neighbor Phyllis Grissom said a panhandler came to her house a few nights ago. She said it was an unsettling experience.

"It was real scary, because I wondered if she was noting that I have children or what kinds of things we had in our house or what kinds of things we had out on our front porch," she said.

Lazetta Coleman, who lives two doors down from Phipps, said a panhandler recently told one of her neighbors that Coleman had suffered a heart attack. He also told the neighbor he was related to Coleman.

"I think they need to catch him, because if we catch him, we're going to get him," she said with a laugh.

Police said they urge people to never give money to panhandlers, no matter where they are approached.