BALTIMORE — Drivers in certain parts of Baltimore City may notice a lack of squeegee workers. Starting January 10, Baltimore police officers will be out patrolling to stop panhandling and soliciting as part of the city's Squeegee Collaborative plan.
Victoria Thompson is a former squeegee worker who now serves as part of the Squeegee Collaborative, helping others who were like her.
“It's a good opportunity for them. I look forward to [it] and I have an open mind because it'll really benefit them in the long way. Keep them out of trouble, stuff like that,” Thompson said.
The city created the Squeegee Collaborative after a deadly shooting at Light and Conway Streets in downtown Baltimore.
The Squeegee Collaborative established six areas known as “Disallowed Zones" where approaching drivers is banned.
As of January 10, squeegee workers will no longer be able to congregate to clean windshields at six intersections in the city.
These high traffic areas include:
- Wabash Avenue and Northern Parkway
- Mount Royal and North Avenues at the I-83 off-ramps
- The JFX at President Street
- MLK Boulevard and I-395
- Light and Conway Streets and I-395
A squeegee worker caught working in one of those areas will get two warnings, before being issued a ticket.
In advance of police starting their disallowed zones patrols, the city held an event on Friday to help squeegee workers find jobs off the streets.
WMAR-2 News spoke with one young man who showed up at the hiring event who was hoping to find something more permanent than squeegeeing.
Derwin Catching said, “squeegeeing like, things happen it’s getting slow right now business is getting slow. So, it’s just time. Everyone is getting older now so it’s time to do better things. We need jobs.”
Police have been stationed in the area of Light and Conway Streets on a regular basis since that deadly shooting in July, as they now expand their patrol to five more busy intersections in the city.
