BALTIMORE — The Baltimore City Council's Public Safety and Government Operations Committee held a hearing Wednesday on recent violent incidents involving squeegee people downtown.
A number of Baltimore City agencies were invited to attend as leaders continue to search for ways to respond to the issue that has become a major concern for residents and visitors alike.
Tensions boiled over earlier this month, after a squeegee teen shot and killed a man who confronted them.
Since then many other victims have come forward about their negative experiences with those young residents, who on a daily basis sit at busy city intersections, washing car windows for money.
Those interactions ranged from reports of harassment and intimidation to destruction of property andassault.
One woman even told WMAR-2 that her Cash App was drained, while trying to deal with squeegee workers back in May.
Some leaders have differed on how to handle the situation, which Governor Larry Hogan called "a terrible problem for many years."
Mayor Brandon Scott has rejected the idea of clearing squeegee people from corners.
Meanwhile Ivan Bates, the new Democratic nominee for Baltimore City State's Attorney, believes they should not be there because of the safety risks presented.
MORE: Ivan Bates aims to address gun crimes, squeegeeing if elected State's Attorney
The city recently held a job fair and other community outreach events, that reportedly landed seven squeegee people new jobs.
Yet the problem has persisted and not gone away.
