Bylaw becoming social workers?

[seewood]

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... ial-issues

Snip: The team will be working to help individuals experiencing homelessness, untreated mental health issues or substance use issues.

I thought social work involved years of post secondary education. Hate to be cynical, but maybe buying them a coffee will go a long way for the homeless and addicted to get sorted and become part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Regardless, time will tell if there is a decrease in petty theft, drug peddling, sleeping hard etc.

[soupy]

https://www.castanet.net/news/Penticton ... ial-issues

Snip: The team will be working to help individuals experiencing homelessness, untreated mental health issues or substance use issues.

I thought social work involved years of post secondary education. Hate to be cynical, but maybe buying them a coffee will go a long way for the homeless and addicted to get sorted and become part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Regardless, time will tell if there is a decrease in petty theft, drug peddling, sleeping hard etc.

Well, they are clearly not "becoming social workers".
But will have additional training to be more aware of social issues compared to how By-law policing was previous done.

This is a great thing. Hopefully it solves some problems and some people seek help / respect the by-law nuisance issues after conversations.

[Piecemaker]

My take on this team of workers is that they will have specialized training in social issues. This will help them deal with the individuals they encounter with a different lens than just bylaw enforcement. They will also be able to refer to appropriate social agencies to help individual with their unique problem such as mental health, addiction, lack of housing, runaway youth and so on.
BTW, near underestimate the value of a cup of coffee and a listening ear!

[spooker]

It's easy to generalize the issues of the homeless, simplify them so they can be dismissed as having chosen their destiny ...

More of this needs to happen all over the valley ... great to see Penticton taking the lead here

[JagXKR]

It's easy to generalize the issues of the homeless, simplify them so they can be dismissed as having chosen their destiny ...

More of this needs to happen all over the valley ... great to see Penticton taking the lead here

It's easy to defend the homeless and simply say they did nothing to cause their own destiny....
I would state that most did this to themselves, whether on purpose or due mental incapacitation.
Bad decisions are made by many and their consequences are sometimes harsh. Does not mean they did not make those decisions on their own volition.
Time for tough love and the Bylaw officers will have their hands full with getting these people help or keeping them from the crimes they commit daily.
Don't believe me? Go to the court one day and see how many thieves have "no fixed address".

[spooker]

*removed*

[seewood]

Personally, I'm skeptical about the impact these new by-law hires will make. I know previous by-law would on occasion stop and talk to the "James-gang" at Nanaimo square on occasion . Harmless bunch and a quick chat as to how each was doing and move on.
Many of the lot today are not as "harmless" and are drug addicted thieving little A By-law officer years ago was assaulted by one of these
Granted today the officers are now wearing protective vests, and truly hope they can make a positive difference, but I suppose time will tell.

[spooker]

It's easy to generalize the issues of the homeless, simplify them so they can be dismissed as having chosen their destiny ...

More of this needs to happen all over the valley ... great to see Penticton taking the lead here

It's easy to defend the homeless and simply say they did nothing to cause their own destiny....
I would state that most did this to themselves, whether on purpose or due mental incapacitation.
Bad decisions are made by many and their consequences are sometimes harsh. Does not mean they did not make those decisions on their own volition.
Time for tough love and the Bylaw officers will have their hands full with getting these people help or keeping them from the crimes they commit daily.
Don't believe me? Go to the court one day and see how many thieves have "no fixed address".

Being homeless and theft are not mutually inclusive ... again, that generalizes the issues that the homeless experience to put them in that position ... giving more people tools to deal with individual situations is a mature response to a problem ...

The forces which affect homelessness are complex and often interactive in nature. Social forces such as addictions, family breakdown, and mental illness are compounded by structural forces such as lack of available low-cost housing, poor economic conditions, and insufficient mental health services. Together these factors impact levels of homelessness through their dynamic relations. Historic models, which are static in nature, have only been marginally successful in capturing these relationships.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3766254/

[cr125]

Personally, I'm skeptical about the impact these new by-law hires will make. I know previous by-law would on occasion stop and talk to the "James-gang" at Nanaimo square on occasion . Harmless bunch and a quick chat as to how each was doing and move on.
Many of the lot today are not as "harmless" and are drug addicted thieving little A By-law officer years ago was assaulted by one of these
Granted today the officers are now wearing protective vests, and truly hope they can make a positive difference, but I suppose time will tell.

..

I wonder how these homeless people will perceive these Bylaw Officers,... getting into their business, and asking personal questions while bylaw are standing there with bullet proof vests badges, boots, and what ever else they have hanging off their combat belt. I would like to think the homeless etc.. would open up more to a person that doesn't look like there going to the next riot. Remember, putting a badge on some of these people, goes right to their heads.

[soupy]

Personally, I'm skeptical about the impact these new by-law hires will make. I know previous by-law would on occasion stop and talk to the "James-gang" at Nanaimo square on occasion . Harmless bunch and a quick chat as to how each was doing and move on.
Many of the lot today are not as "harmless" and are drug addicted thieving little A By-law officer years ago was assaulted by one of these
Granted today the officers are now wearing protective vests, and truly hope they can make a positive difference, but I suppose time will tell.

..

I wonder how these homeless people will perceive these Bylaw Officers,... getting into their business, and asking personal questions while bylaw are standing there with bullet proof vests badges, boots, and what ever else they have hanging off their combat belt. I would like to think the homeless etc.. would open up more to a person that doesn't look like there going to the next riot. Remember, putting a badge on some of these people, goes right to their heads.

That has been tried and tried. Here's hoping a new approach does some good

[cr125]

Removing the combat garb, or at least tone it down a bit, something a little less intimating, after all, aren't they dealing with people who have mental health issues?

[cr125]

Good Luck, hope it works for ya.

[soupy]

Removing the combat garb, or at least tone it down a bit, something a little less intimating, after all, aren't they dealing with people who have mental health issues?

It's a double edged sword in regards to bylaw and PPE.
damned if you do, damned if you dont comes to mind.

[JagXKR]

Being homeless and theft are not mutually inclusive ... again, that generalizes the issues that the homeless experience to put them in that position ... giving more people tools to deal with individual situations is a mature response to a problem ...

The forces which affect homelessness are complex and often interactive in nature. Social forces such as addictions, family breakdown, and mental illness are compounded by structural forces such as lack of available low-cost housing, poor economic conditions, and insufficient mental health services. Together these factors impact levels of homelessness through their dynamic relations. Historic models, which are static in nature, have only been marginally successful in capturing these relationships.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3766254/

Just a left wing garbage piece defending the "homeless", and not even from this country.
There are many many many agencies dealing with the "homeless". Millions and Millions of tax dollars wasted. Continued bandaid solutions that do not work. Have never worked. Problem getting worse because we don't spend enough, that seems to be the rallying cry of the stupid left wing. More money just pour more money into the "homeless".

As for the theft, I again state that until you go down to the courthouse and see how many thefts are committed by those with "no fixed address" you have no leg to stand on. Just blah blah blah.
Ask a cop, how many thefts in town are by "homeless"? How many "homeless" are drug addicts?

[cr125]

Hiring people who pick up stray dogs, informing people they are watering on the wrong days, asking people not to loiter, take your sandwich sign off the sidewalk, etc., etc. They absolutely would need proper training in handling Mental Health issues, drug addictions, otherwise its the same as hiring a body with a class 3, or 1 and letting them loose on the highways and start clearing snow, with little or no training what so ever.
A crash course isn't enough for either of these occupations.