Kirkwood, MO Public Conduct: Aggressive Panhandling (2026)

Section 18-19, titled simply 'Begging,' states that no person shall solicit alms or contributions in a park for any purpose, public or private, tracing back to § 13.17 of the 1959 General Ordinances. The provision sits in Chapter 18's general-conduct article alongside other park-only behavior rules, such as § 18-18's ban on immodest dress and § 18-24's disorderly-conduct rule against loud, boisterous or threatening language. Unlike ordinances some cities adopt targeting 'aggressive' solicitation, such as following a person, blocking a path, or repeated requests after refusal, Kirkwood's text bans all begging in a park outright, without regard to whether the conduct is aggressive; it also does not extend the same prohibition to public sidewalks, transit stops or commercial districts outside park property. A related advertising rule, § 18-25, separately bars offering goods or services for sale in a park except through concessions the Park Board authorizes, which covers commercial solicitation distinct from begging for alms.