Begging: article of the Criminal Code

Not so long ago, responsibility for begging again attracted the attention of officials. And that's the case: as you know, the home of the homeless often becomes a place where criminals hide, socially dangerous elements, even terrorists can hide here, and they will never be able to find them. However, in our country they offered a rather original approach to fighting homeless and poor people. What threatens for begging if the initiative is approved? Increase in penalties. And this is for people who have no money, no propiska, and often even a passport or other document proving their identity. In a word, the initiative seems controversial. And what about the situation now?

Law and punishment

Now, the penalty for asking for money from outsiders in public places is supposed to be in accordance with the rules introduced by the Code of Administrative Offenses, as well as under Art. 151 of the Criminal Code. For example, in the capital, the police, after catching a beggar, can force to pay 100-500 rubles. In practice, guards of order are much more likely to get by with a simple oral warning. Of course, the police could also send letters in writing, but only the homeless and the poor (at least officially), this is absolutely not required.

The problem is, was and will be

Knowingly begging is an article in our laws. This problem is very serious, it was earlier and it is unlikely to be eradicated in the near future. It is especially pronounced in large cities, the capital suffers the most. Therefore, the Art. 151 of the Criminal Code, although the punishment for it is not too severe.

Often, I try to appeal to the compassion of people passing by, not those who found themselves in an unpleasant and difficult life situation. As a rule, these are just parasites who want to get money just like that. Especially unpleasant contingent - those who take with themselves minors. Under the law, involving a minor in committing antisocial actions should be punished quite seriously, but the majority manage to avoid it.

Like a thorn in the eye?

Since the punishment for begging is not serious, there are a lot of people who want to beg for money from others. This is especially noticeable at the railway stations of the capital, in the underground passages, in the busy parts of the city. Some say beggars are like a thorn in the eye, while others have looked at them so much that they do not even notice such a dubious contingent. Many are convinced that the earnings by begging are much greater than that received by an ordinary person in the office. In a word, business is booming ... However, there are those who sincerely believe that they are asking for money only for those who really need it.

By the way, from year to year the number of people involved in the article "Begging" to administrative responsibility is growing. It means that the fight is after all, but it is coming. Policemen do not just find beggars, but also expel them from the metro, charge fines, suppress illegal activities. At the same time, one must understand that the measures prescribed by law for combating begging a la reprimand and warning are completely useless, therefore they are on paper, but in practice they are not applied.

Format the laws

Some time ago, the initiative of the following nature was sounded: to remove the phrase about "obsessive activity" from the law. It was suggested by the police themselves, who know perfectly well how the system of asking money works. Mostly in our country beggars are quite quiet, there are no longer those who pull at the sleeve, begging for a piece of bread. Modern beggars stand with placards, which indicate both the causes of the plight and the purpose of collecting money. Others pacing in electric trains and cars, loudly telling their soul-mourning stories and hoping for the sympathy of their neighbors.

Unfortunately, the prevention of vagrancy and begging does not give any positive measures. And it is true: there are still a lot of people in our country who sincerely believe in all the posters and whining stories in a dull tone. They give the last, so that everything is "in a Christian way." People do not even think that they can be deceived.

What are the danger of beggars?

Why are beggars so dangerous? First, many of them include the involvement of a minor in committing antisocial actions. By law, this is strictly prosecuted, which does not prevent from year to year thousands of children disappear on the street - and not because of games with friends. In the future, such children are often gangs, drugs, theft, even murder.

Yes, and the poor themselves - this is also a criminal sphere. From the outside it seems that these are quiet, calm people sitting on the roadside and hoping for the mercy of passers-by. In any weather, as if to work, they come to bridges, to the entrances to the subway, to bus stops. But in fact begging is a serious prosperous business, characterized by a very strict hierarchy. It's not for nothing that the article "Begging" was introduced into the laws of the country, it's not for nothing that they try to increase responsibility, because you can easily compare beggars with the mafia. And there are a lot of people here, and the organization is there, and the money revolves about how serious.

Not everything is as simple as it seems

Among the beggars there are those who have really been thrown out on the street, without a roof over their heads, but much more working in the sale of drugs involved in theft, murder. The police and judicial practice knows cases when, under the article "Begging", they detained and carried ridiculous fines to dollar millionaires who made their fortune in the streets.

Other beggars and truth tramps without a home, but many in this environment are those who consider this occupation their work. Early in the morning they put on a masquerade - old, ragged rags that evoke pity from others, impose make-up, rehearse in front of a mirror of curse, and then go to crowded places. In the evening, such hard workers return home, in a luxurious multi-room apartment with modern decoration and expensive furniture.

Everything's under control

You can not just take money from passers-by. No, it's not because in the administrative code the article "Begging" prohibits it. She, of course, forbids - but who will obey the laws, especially with a fine refundable in just an hour of work?

In fact, all places where beggars sit are controlled within this structure. The more revenue from the point, the higher will be the control over it. Some of the income will have to be transferred to the "roof", some of it will be left to itself. The larger the total income, the more "beggar" will earn for the pocket. This is undoubtedly a serious stimulus, and people are inventing new and new methods to press on the pity of others. By the way, the workplace can even be sold - and it will cost decent money. At the same time, to become part of the guild of beggars is not so simple, strangers are driven in vain. And alone on the street to feed and it's really difficult.

We use everything you can

As it is already written above, the beggars give a part of the income to the leaders, who, to some extent, provide security and even distorted justice in the world of beggars. How to make people give more money to earn more for themselves? The easiest way is to use children. Everyone loves kiddies, they want a better future for them, that's why it is not a pity for young children, even if it's not their own blood.

But for beggars, children are an earnings tool used to knock out a tear from a passer-by. Which they do, by the way, expertly. If they take babies with them, they mix drugs or alcohol into the food - the kids sleep and do not cry, do not calm down and lull, and the passers-by effect is still strong. Those who are older help adults - they make plaintive eyes, attract attention by behavior. However, small people in this world rarely survive - there are many tools, so beggars do not take care of them.

What to update in the law?

To make the fight against begging more effective, at first they suggested increasing fines. Why not take 2.5-5 thousand from each beggar? And the budget is a good profit, and wanting to beg for money on the streets, you see, it will be diminished - apparently, this is how the officials reasoned. However, these proposed initiatives are not exhausted.

The following plan was proposed for consideration by the highest authorities: it is necessary to clarify that begging involves asking not only money, but also products, any material values. And this is with the above-described exception of the term "obtrusive". In a word, such an initiative should have covered as much as possible what is happening on the streets of Russian cities.

And historically?

If you look at the experience of past centuries, you can learn that in Europe begging has been punished for a very long time. In the 14th century, there were already introduced such standards, according to which beggars from the law got quite seriously. Peter the Great brought to Russia a lot of new Western trends and practices, including the fight against beggars. When there were councils in power, beggars begging money from ordinary people could receive punishment under Article 209 of the Criminal Code. According to her, responsibility assumed neither much, nor little prison. Plant could already 2 years. For recidivists, the maximum term was set at 4 years.

The article was removed from the Criminal Code in 1991. And to this day, there are regulations that were introduced at the time when begging was re-qualified as an administrative offense.

Did you save anything?

In fact, we can not say that there are no traces left by Soviet practice in our legislation. And today a beggar can be sentenced under the Criminal Code, but it can happen in such a situation, when it was possible to convict some person of active participation in the beggarly mafia and taking control positions in it.

The one who manages the whole system, the top of the hierarchical ladder of beggars are real bosses, persecuted according to the rules of criminal proceedings ... if, of course, they managed to catch them, which happens rather rarely. But if you really caught, then the charges can not be counted. This is slave labor, and mutilation and beating, less often - murder and other serious crimes. The main problem faced by law enforcement agencies, even if managed to take into custody such a boss - the lack of testimony. The greatest information is available to the poor, but they rarely agree to cooperate with the investigation, and as a result, the suspects are released "for lack of corpus delicti" or with other similar wording.

With impunity,

This sin for beggars is known for a long time, because people who have fallen to the very bottom of the social ladder, try to use everything that comes to hand. If they are exploiting newborns, why not beg for money with the help of animals? Not so long ago, lawmakers took the initiative - proposed to introduce a special punishment for those who resort to animals. The draft law presupposes administrative responsibility.

The activists tried to attract public attention to the problem of animal exploitation for a long time. As you know, beggars using animals, mock them, are kept in disgusting conditions. In addition, if the beggars have their own house, then they leave all the cats and dogs in it, which creates an abundance of problems for neighbors, because animals are not fed, not cared for, and do not provide a toilet - they create a real ghetto in the worst traditions. And all this is presented as a socially useful work to save the dying on the street.

How it works?

Under the new initiative, they offer to introduce responsibility to those individuals who expose animals in public, trying to get money for this. Usually such beggars ask money for animal feed. The bill contains penalties for this behavior, as well as a more serious option if the animal has suffered or died from such an action.

At the same time, specialized projects that collect money for animals are allowed. These are places of charitable help for legal shelters, where homeless animals are trying to create adequate living conditions and help them to find a new home.

And the police on this issue further explains: if a simple old woman with her cat tries to get up in the passage to collect alms for herself and the animal, she will be immediately expelled by local bosses from the mafia beggars. This means that only those who have a roof are standing on the street - that is, they are not poor people who need support, but deceivers who are not collecting money for animals.