LANCASTER, Pa. — Lancaster Police have arrested five people on various criminal charges, and 14 others were arrested on outstanding summary warrants, relating to what officials call "aggressive panhandling" in the city.
The charges for those arrested include disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, harassment, and possession of K2, a synthetic marijuana that police say is the root cause of the panhandling.
"It's chemically made and the chemical compounds vary, and that is what causes sometimes folks to have a severe reaction to the chemicals," said Todd Grager, the Community Engagement Sergeant with the Lancaster Bureau of Police. "A lot of the folks that are conducting some of these aggressive panhandling incidents are also the same folks that are under the influence of synthetic marijuana."
The recent wave of K2 in Lancaster has led to more overdoses and a greater strain on the city’s emergency services.
"Each one of these overdose events is a combined response with fire, police, EMS, and we show up to all of them until we are able to determine what the course of action to, ensure that these folks are safe and well," Grager said.
The Bureau of Police works with the Blueprints for Addiction Recovery group to provide outreach and service to those affected by drugs.
"Addiction can be a very difficult thing for some folks to navigate through," Grager said. "There's a lot of things that make that complex, but we do have a lot of resources here in the city of Lancaster that we help to provide these folks with."