Loitering is the act of remaining in a particular public place for a protracted time, without any apparent purpose.While the laws regarding loitering have been challenged and changed over time, loitering is still illegal in various jurisdictions and in specific circumstances. Prohibition and history Loitering has historically been treated as an inherent preceding offense to other forms of public crime and disorder, such as prostitution, begging, public drunkenness, dealing in stolen goods, drug dealing, scams, organised crime, robbery, harassment/mobbing, etc. Loitering provides a lesser offense that can be used by police to confront and deter suspect individuals from lingering in a high-crime area, especially when criminal intent is suspected, but not observed. Local areas vary on the degree to which police are empowered to arrest or disperse loiterers; limitations on their power are sometimes made over concerns regarding racial profiling and unnecessary use of police force. The offense remains highly subjective: in many places, loitering is a crime in and of itself, while in others it is...