Tell Dover City Council: Don’t criminalize poverty — Vote NO on Ordinance #2025-21
Mayor Christiansen and Dover City Council
Housing is unaffordable in Dover, and more families are falling into homelessness. Rather than discrimination, arrests, and fines, the city must commit to a plan that will provide more shelter and build more affordable housing.
The Dover City Council is considering Ordinance #2025-21, which would fine people for asking for help at roadsides and ticket those who try to assist them.
This proposal doesn’t make our streets safer — it punishes poverty and wastes taxpayer money. Police should not be issuing tickets to people who are struggling to survive, nor to compassionate residents trying to help.
Instead of criminalizing poverty, Dover should invest in real solutions that help people get back on their feet — like housing, treatment, and community support.
This ordinance is not only cruel, but it also violates the First Amendment and exposes the city to costly lawsuits. Federal courts have repeatedly ruled that peaceful requests for charity are protected speech.
Tell Dover City Council to do the right thing — vote NO on Ordinance #2025-21
Sponsored by
To:
Mayor Christiansen and Dover City Council
From:
[Your Name]
Dear Council Member,
I urge you to oppose Ordinance #2025-21, which would fine our neighbors for asking for help at roadsides and ticket those who try to help them.
This ordinance claims to be about traffic safety, but in reality, it criminalizes poverty and wastes taxpayer money. It makes no sense to have police issue fines to people who can’t afford them — it doesn’t solve the problem and takes valuable officer time away from real public safety concerns. Punishing compassion by ticketing those who help is simply wrong.
Dover’s City Council has acknowledged that homelessness is a growing challenge in our community. But the solution is not to push people further into the margins — it’s to invest in housing, services, and stability.
This ordinance would also expose Dover to legal risk. Federal courts have consistently held that peaceful requests for charity in public spaces are protected by the First Amendment (see United States v. Kokinda, 497 U.S. 720, 725 (1990); Reed v. Town of Gilbert, 576 U.S. 155 (2015)). Many cities have faced lawsuits and repealed similar ordinances.
Please reject Ordinance #2025-21. It’s unconstitutional, cruel, and bad policy for Dover.
Thank you,