Twenty-four people showed up to the first task force meeting to discuss street issues, according to the District of Hope’s Minutes of an Aggressive Panhandling Strategy Task Force Meeting.
The minutes reveal details of the Aug. 16 meeting which was open only to stakeholders and caregiver groups. Groups that attended included council members, Chawathil and Yale First Nations, Hope and Area Transition Society (HATS), BC Protection Services, Hope RCMP, AdvantageHOPE, Hope and District Chamber of Commerce, Hope Ratepayers Association and Hope Crime Prevention.
Mayor Wilfried Vicktor gave an overview and “noted that the issue is very apparent in the downtown core and that a community effort is required to promote improvement,” while District chief administrative officer John Fortoloczky said that participants needed to define and measure the issue and re-evaluate and measure the problem after the developed strategies are implemented.
Hope RCMP detachment commander Staff Sgt. Karol Rehdner said that there are six to 10 residents who are known to panhandle, adding that these individuals have family ties to Hope. He said that alcohol and substance abuse seem to lead to panhandling. He added that occasionally, there are transients or non-residents that panhandle in the downtown core.
Businesses came up as a focus. Members in attendance suggested that a private security firm be contracted to respond to calls for assistance in dispersal of panhandlers from businesses, and that business owners need to “see action and feel they have support from the community.”
“It was noted that the City of Victoria has four police officers dedicated to people experiencing homelessness, providing them transportation and providing other outreach options,” said the minutes.
BC Protection Services’ (BCPS) Jason Graf suggested that two weeks of bike and foot patrol could be conducted, along with public education about panhandling and the services HATS provides. BCPS started their two-week patrol trial last week.
HATS representative said they are “doing everything they can to improve this situation and offer assistance.” They also noted that their low-barrier drop-in centre, the HOPE Project, closed on Sept. 4 last year due to a lack of funding.
“All attendees were in agreement that there is a desperate need for a low-barrier, (24/7 operational) drop-in, detox facility in the downtown core. Mayor Vicktor noted that the facility should have 3-4 beds that can be utilized daily,” said the minutes.
Another attendee asked that businesses offer temporary employment to assist in small labour jobs, where the labourer is compensated in gift cards.