Mayor Wants Homeless Criminalized

[fz6adventure]

Mayor Colin Basran is encouraging the Kelowna RCMP to pursue criminal charges amongst the city’s homeless street population regardless of possible mental health or addiction problems they might have.

Full story by John McDonald on *bleep*.ca

Mayor Basran is such a compassionate individual ...... NOT!

[Treblehook]

The mayor of a city [in this case Kelowna] doesn't know what to do about a problem, so he does what they normally do... download it onto the police. Never mind that it is 90% a health, or mental health problem, that cannot be solved by law enforcement. I guess the premise is, if you give the problem to someone else, then you have someone else to blame for it's continued existence.

[fz6adventure]

The mayor of a city [in this case Kelowna] doesn't know what to do about a problem, so he does what they normally do... download it onto the police. Never mind that it is 90% a health, or mental health problem, that cannot be solved by law enforcement. I guess the premise is, if you give the problem to someone else, then you have someone else to blame for it's continued existence.

My expectations for a mayor taking 6 figures every year from me as a taxpayer, is that he show some sort rudimentary intelligence coupled with compassion in the resolve of sensitive social issues.

[fz6adventure]

If you think about the Homeless Task force that was assembled by council (Check out the last campaign contribution record) and couple that with the mayors latest comments, you can pretty much tell what the outcome of the task force recommendations will be. Put them all in jail and magically ........ the homeless population dwindles.

[Anonymous123]

I would like to think that the Mayor is doing this to trigger services for the drug addicts and mentally ill that is only available through the court/legal system.

[fz6adventure]

I would like to think that the Mayor is doing this to trigger services for the drug addicts and mentally ill that is only available through the court/legal system.

Right, once the other issues are dealt with they have a criminal record to follow them around for the rest of their lives. Such compassion!

[MAPearce]

Well.... All I can say is I voted for Sharon Shepard .

[Anonymous123]

At this point it's either a criminal record or a paupers grave. Arresting the homeless will weed out the opportunistic vultures from the people that actually need help. The addicts and mentally ill will be forced by court to attend rehabilitation resources that may not be available without legal intervention.

[MAPearce]

The addicts and mentally ill will be forced by court to attend rehabilitation resources that may not be available without legal intervention.

Isn't that the saddest thing ?

I wonder how many parents lay awake at night hoping their child does just enough to get into rehab without hurting anyone because they want help for their child but can't afford it .....

[Anonymous123]

It is sad. This is what the privacy act does. Parents can not be given information about their adult children and are forced to rely on the courts to enforce rehabilitation on them.

[Treblehook]

I would like to think that the Mayor is doing this to trigger services for the drug addicts and mentally ill that is only available through the court/legal system.

Where is he going to get the additional police officers that will be needed to provide service to the citizens of the city while the officers on patrol are dealing with the homeless problem. The opiate overdose problem has taxed the ambulance service to the point where waits for ambulance for other calls has been increased to an unacceptable level.. Now the mayor is going to do the same thing with police services???

[Anonymous123]

They already are being tied up with homeless issues. What's going to change?

[fz6adventure]

They already are being tied up with homeless issues. What's going to change?

The burden on the police is just one part of the equation. The bigger part is the burden on the justice system (courts, BC Prosecution Service, etc.). All the while not in the least addressing the homeless situation. Such short sighted resolve by the mayor. Happy campaigning Colin!

[Anonymous123]

Court ordered rehab takes those that are arrested out of the equation.

[normaM]

Well except usually rehab isn't long enough to really make much of a difference, hence people end up back doing what they were or going back to rehab several times. Plus they clump and attempt to treat all addictions the same way.
Not sure the police and the courts ought to be dealing with the problem, there seem to be a lot of agencies working at cross purposes instead of under one umbrella.
Then again homelessness is a money maker for some people.
Wonder if the Mayor has spent much time out there talking to the homeless.