A commentary by a retired police officer who lives in Ladysmith.
Here’s an idea that could answer some problems being experienced with vandalism and violence at the hands of some “unhoused” and “mentally ill” people.
Provincial legislation could create a new act that would make illegal any camping outside of designated areas or the wilderness.
Police could be given the authority, within the Mental Health Act, to detain and present a vagrant to a dedicated system for assessment. I recommend a dedicated court setting.
At the moment we are attempting to house everybody, the good and the bad, under one roof! Residents are being victimized from within. I’ve also noticed that for every emptied business porch or vacant park space — it doesn’t take long for the next street resident to move on in.
These folks need housing, protection and social services. All three need to be happening in harmony, otherwise we are only paying to temporarily remove an “eyesore” from one place and put it somewhere else.
This is known as a “displacement outcome,” in terms of community policing practices, and the result never solves the core problem effectively.
I think it might be widely supported if two classes of facility could be created to improve on the outcomes we are seeing — one open setting and the other one locked.
• The open option would be for people who want to find a way forward and are trapped by their circumstance. This option can offer full services being readily available.
These folks should be free to come and go, and not be subjected to the rules and limitations of our current shelter systems. We’ve already got provincially operated properties (motel units) to house a cohort of these willing participants. (No new expenses there.)
• The locked option is for those we find committing the vandalism and confrontational violent acts. These residents would not come and go at will and we absolutely need rules and restrictions to govern this collective — thus protecting our own communities from their toll.
Such a facility should have on-site services available to a captive audience. Yes, we could define this place as a jail. Presently the homeless and or mentally ill/addicted, if convicted, are either released back onto the streets or locked up with “ordinary criminals.”
Again, the province has a number of locked settings already available. Rather than using them all for crooks, couldn’t we dedicate a couple of these sites to humanely serve this special-needs population?
People going into “homeless” lockdown need to be placed there by a court authority. These residents then work toward extinguishing the criminal charge that brought them in. They show their progress through participation in the services being offered.
Residents can earn a transition over to the open accommodation, where movement to employment and public education is facilitated. Such a transition is earned and recognized as a step forward for the sponsored resident.
Our neighbours to the south have exactly the same problems we do, only their numbers are much larger. I can speak from experience about Orange County, California where they have championed a specialized court system.
They have a Veteran’s Court, a Homeless Court, a Mental Illness and Addictions Court, all in addition to their Criminal Court system. A dedicated judge oversees the special needs of each sorted client.
Everyone passing through the court is then placed onto a probation order that will hold the participant accountable for attainable goals. The system works in partnership with community resources, non-profit organizations, and social services, all addressing an individual’s needs.
There is even a graduation ceremony for successful clients who publicly celebrate their accomplishments. For those who do not comply: a sentence is delivered for the original criminal charge — it’s just a delayed result for a deserving sort.
The Orange County Courts are demonstrably effective and have been recognized nationally as a best practices initiative. Can we learn from this and adapt it for our needs?
It pains me to see our “good guys” paying through the nose with both money and emotion for countless broken windows, lost business, and the vengeful acts of those who seem to have us over a barrel.
I put this out there in the hope that we can look outside of the box and find solutions that can move us back toward feeling safe on our streets at night (and during the day).
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