Broomfield, CO Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

Section 9-32-050, titled Begging Prohibited, sits in Chapter 9-32 alongside the general loitering rules. Subsection (A) makes it unlawful on streets, sidewalks or other places open to the public, whether publicly or privately owned, to aggressively coerce, threaten, relentlessly pursue, harass or intimidate another person for the purpose of soliciting money or goods, by words, bodily gestures, signs or other means. Subsection (B) spells out five specific scenarios that qualify as aggressive: conduct that would make a reasonable person fear for their safety; intentionally blocking a person's or vehicle's path so they must take evasive action; persistently following someone and continuing to demand money after they have already refused; soliciting people waiting in a line for tickets or entry; and approaching or following someone as part of a group of two or more in a way likely to cause fear of imminent harm.

Subsection (C) lists factors relevant to whether a reasonable person would fear for their safety, including physical contact, proximity, duration of the solicitation, and threatening gestures or conduct such as closely following the solicitee. The ordinance dates to Ordinance 292 in 1977 and was substantially rewritten by Ordinance 1459 in 2000 to add the aggressive-conduct definitions. Simple, non-aggressive requests for money on a sidewalk are not reached by this section; it targets only the coercive, pursuing or intimidating manner of the solicitation. No separate penalty is written into Chapter 9-32, so Section 1-12-020's general penalty, up to a $2,650.00 fine, up to 364 days in jail, or both, applies to a conviction.