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The stabbing death of an Ontario man after an alleged scuffle with four Toronto panhandlers has unleashed a torrent of anger from politicians who say stricter laws are needed to control aggressive panhandlers.

But experts who work closely with homeless people say the death of Ross Hammond has fuelled unnecessary fear and stereotypes about panhandlers and homeless people.

"It's a real mistake to draw a connection between aggressive panhandling and violence," said Dr. Stephen Hwang of St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, who has researched homelessness for the past 15 years.

"There's a huge distinction between walking with someone and asking for money, and attacking them with a knife."

The vast majority of homeless people are harmless, and are more often victims of violence rather than perpetrators, Dr. Hwang said.

A recent study he conducted at the Centre for Research on Inner City Health found that 36 per cent of homeless people reported they had been assaulted during the past year.

"The issues of panhandling and homelessness are not identical," he added - many homeless people eschew panhandling, and not all panhandlers are homeless.

Nevertheless, high-profile attacks such as the one this weekend tend to "reinforce people's stereotypes that homeless people are violent or threatening," he said.

Some city councillors have called for a harder stance on panhandling after the latest incident in Toronto.

The city is already in the midst of a two-month pilot project to assess the needs of downtown panhandlers - and to quantify their negative effects on tourism.

Other cities, including Vancouver and Calgary, have cracked down on the practice in recent years by banning soliciting for money in groups, or at certain times, or approaching people in cars.

Four panhandlers in their early 20s are facing several assault charges in the death of Mr. Hammond, 32, of St. Catharines, who underwent several operations before dying early Saturday morning.

Toronto police said Mr. Hammond and a friend were walking west on Queen Street West early on Thursday when two men and two women approached them and asked for money.

They refused, and a verbal confrontation quickly turned into a physical melee. Mr. Hammond was stabbed in the chest and back, and some of the accused also received minor stab wounds.

In another incident earlier this month, a 79-year-old former surgeon named Peter Collins was assaulted outside a Vancouver church.

An irate panhandler pushed him to the ground and snatched his wallet.

The panhandler, who was later charged with robbery, wasn't satisfied with the $5 Dr. Collins had handed over, police said.

Some homeless advocates and health-care providers say moves to crack down on panhandling are missing the mark.

"The whole notion of clearing people off the street doesn't really solve the problem," said Alice Broughton, manager of homeless services at the Sherbourne Health Centre in Toronto, which provides health services for people who are homeless or living in shelters. "It's actually an issue of poverty."

That opinion is shared by Dr. Vicky Stergiopoulos, a psychiatrist at St. Michael's who works with homeless people.

While mental illness, gang culture or stress can sometimes trigger violent attacks on the street, they are rare among homeless people, she said.

"What we need is a comprehensive plan to end homelessness."

Panhandling bylaws

Some North American cities have passed bylaws to restrict when and where panhandling takes place. Some of these

restrictions, according to a document obtained from the City

of Toronto:

Calgary

No panhandling between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., nor within 10 metres of a bank, ABM machine or transit stop. No soliciting people in cars.

Vancouver

No soliciting by three or more people in a group. No blocking

traffic. Panhandling is off limits within 10 metres of a bank or ABM.

Halifax

No loitering or gathering

in a manner that disturbs others. No obstruction of a person.

Montreal

No obstructing traffic, loitering, prowling or lying drunk.

New York

No aggressive solicitation

in public places or near banks, ABMs or of people in cars.