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Shriner fundraiser says officers told him to stop soliciting at First Friday; city staff offer follow-up
Summary
A longtime Shriner told commissioners he was told by police to stop collecting donations at a First Friday event after the Downtown Development Authority complained; city staff invited him to meet after the meeting to resolve the issue.
Tim Miner, a lifelong Rome resident and past president of the Rome Shrine Club, told the commission during public comment that he was asked by Rome police to stop carrying a Shriners collection bucket at a First Friday concert after organizers complained.
Miner said he was standing on the sidewalk with his son, wearing Shriner attire and holding a bucket, and that he had not been approaching people or using a megaphone. He said officers informed him the DDA had asked that fundraising be limited because it was their event and that a permit was required.
“The courts have consistently recognized that charitable solicitation is protected speech under the First Amendment,” Miner told the commission, explaining he was not seeking damages but reform of the policy.
The mayor and city staff invited Miner to meet after the meeting to discuss next steps and how to allow charitable groups to participate without violating event rules. City staff said they would follow up and seek a mutually agreeable solution.
