HomeMy WebLinkAbout2004-11-22 Workshop Agenda and ReportsCorporation of the District of Maple Ridge
Co UNClE WORKSHOP A GENDA
November 22, 2004
9:00a.m.
Blaney Room, f t Floor, Municipal Hall
The purpose of the Council Workshop is to review and discuss policies and
other items of interest to Council. Although resolutions may be passed at this
meeting, the intent is to make a consensus decision to send an item to Council
for debate and vote or refer the item back to stafffor more information or
clarfIcation.
REMINDERS
November 22
Closed Council 11:00 a.m.
November 23
Council 7:00p.m.
ADOPTION OF THE A GENDA
MINUTES - November 15, 2004
PRESENTATIONS A T THE REQ UEST OF COUNCIL
UNFINISHED AND NEW BUSINESS
4.1 "Security in Our Community" - Round Table Forum —Discussion of next steps
(Report to be circulated separately)
4.2 Update on the Development Process Review
CORRESPONDENCE
Council Workshop
November 22, 2004
Page 2 of 3
The following correspondence has been received and requires a response. Staff is seeking
direction from Council on each item. Options that Council may consider include:
Acknowledge receipt of correspondence and advise that no further action will be taken.
Direct staff to prepare a report and recommendation regarding the subject mat/er.
Forward the correspondence to a regulqr Council meeting for further discussion.
Once direction is given the appropriate response will be sent.
5.1 City of Port Moody, BCGEU Local 603 - Two Year Welfare Limits
Letter dated October 13, 2004 from Joe Trasolini, Mayor, providing a resolution
passed by the Port Moody Council with respect to changes to the Employment and
Assistance Act.
BRIEFING ON OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST/QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL
MA TTERS DEEMED EXPEDIENT
ADJOURNMENT
Checked by.
Date:
,,
Council Workshop
November 22. 2004
Page 3 of3
Rules for Holding a Closed Meeting
A part of a council meeting may be closed to the public if the subject matter being considered relates to
one or more of the following:
personal information about an identifiable individual who holds or is being considered for a position
as an officer, employee or agent of the municipality or another position appointed by the municipality;
personal information about an identifiable individual who is being considered for a municipal award
or honour, or who has offered to provide a gift to the municipality on condition of anonymity;
labour relations or employee negotiations;
the security of property of the municipality;
the acquisition, disposition or expropriation of land or improvements, if the council considers that
disclosure might reasonably be expected to harm the interests of the municipality;
law enforcement, if the council considers that disclosure might reasonably be expected to harm the
conduct of an investigation under or enforcement of an enactment;
litigation or potential litigation affecting the municipality;
an administrative tribunal hearing or potential administrative tribunal hearing affecting the
municipality, other than a hearing to be conducted by the council or a delegate of council
the receiving of advice that is subject to solicitor-client privilege, including communications necessary
for that purpose;
information that is prohibited or information that if it were presented in a document would be
prohibited from disclosure under section 21 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of
Privacy Act;
negotiations and related discussions respecting the proposed provision of a municipal service that
are at their preliminary stages and that, in the view of the council, could reasonably be expected to
harm the interests of the municipality ifthey were held in public;
(1) discussions with municipal officers and employees respecting municipal objectives, measures and
progress reports for the purposes of preparing an annual report under section 98 [annual municipal
report]
a matter that, under another enactment, is such that the public may be excluded from the meeting;
the consideration of whether a council meeting should be closed under a provision of this subsection
of subsection (2)
the consideration of whether the authority under section 91 (other persons attending closed
meetings) should be exercised in relation to a council meeting.
information relatin2 to local government participation in provincial negotiations with First
Nations, wlre an agreement provides that the information is to be kept confidential.
p
HCit!j of the Arts
RECEIVE!) IN
CLERK'S
OCT 1, 2004..
P (1) RT v1 J 0 D'IT 100 Wewport Drive, P.O. Box 36. Port Moody. B.C.. V31-1 3E1 Canaca
F T H E A R T S
Tel 604-469-4500 • Fax 604-469-4550
CITY /M
&C CMI Ot1 152004
www.cityotoortmooay.com
October 13, 2004 Action: Ei i MAYOR File: 4810-01
Attention: Union of BC Municipalities Members
Re: BC Government and Service Employees' Union Local 603 - Two Year Welfare Limits
On September 28, 2004, Port Moody Council at their regular Council meeting passed the following
resolution:
WHEREAS in April 2002 the Provincial Government announced new welfare legislation in the
Employment and Assistance Act; and, this new act outlined a dramatic program of welfare
restructuring that include cuts to benefits and tightening of eligibility rules; and deep cuts have
also been made to the Ministry of Human Resources' operating budget;
AND WHEREAS the Provincial Government announced on February 5,2004 additional
exemptions to the two-years-out-of-five welfare rule, but these changes do not go far enough in
meeting the needs of the poorest people in the province and those that are already struggling to
deal with the impacts of other provincial program and service cuts;
AND WHEREAS the changes to welfare effectively download provincial responsibility for
people in need onto municipal governments as more hungry and homeless people are forced to
seek food, shelter, and community support in our neighbourhoods, streets and parks;
THERFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Port Moody City Council calls on the Provincial
Government to change the Employment and Assistance Act to ensure welfare benefits meet the
basic needs of individuals and families; and further, Port Moody City Council urges that the
Provincial Government make these changes include:
• repealing the cuts to benefit rates (support, shelter allowances and crisis grants);
• easing the eligibility for child care subsidies;
• reversing the requirement that single parents seek work when their youngest child
reaches the age of three;
.12
5.1
citySolip.ca
t 5. Do /'FOUNDING PARTNERTh'
I
Members, Union of BC Municipalities
BCGEU Local 603 - Two Year Welfare Limits
October 13, 2004 Page 2
• ending the three week wait for new financial assistance applicants;
• abandoning the two-year independence test;
• refraining from privatizing financial assistance delivery or computerized financial
assistance determination;
• rescinding the law imposing welfare time limits:
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that Port Moody City Council urges the Provincial Government to
end the centralization of employment and assistance field services, so as to prevent barriers to
assistance access by keeping physical services within the local community;
FINALLY, Port Moody Council directs the Mayor to send a letter to the
Union of BC Municipalities and other municipal councils in BC, outlining its concerns and
urging other councils to take similar action. The Mayor is further directed to send copies of this
letter to all MLAs representing residents of Port Moody.
Yours truly,
Joe Trasolini,
MayOr
pc: Honourable Christy Clark, MLA
.1•
7Q-S-101
91-1) 2 * CORPORATION OF THE
MAPLE RiDGE DISTRICT OF MAPLE RIDGE
TO: Her Worship Mayor Kathy Morse DATE: November 17, 2004
and Members of Council FILE NO:
FROM: Chief Administrative Officer ATTN: Workshop
SUBJECT: ROUND TABLE MEETINGS - SECURITY IN THE COMMUNITY
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
One town hail meeting and three round table workshops were held from late September to early
November this year addressing the general topic of Security in the Community. The workshops focused
on Property Crime, Drug Abuse and Homelessness. The last round table meeting was held on November
1 st Several themes emerged from the meetings which are summarized in the attached listing from the
Director of Communications and Human Resources. The minutes and flip chart notes from the workshops
are also attached for Council consideration.
The purpose of this memorandum is to forward the attached material for further discussion by Council.
Although some follow up work has already been completed the intent of the current discussion will be to
establish those additional items Council wishes to identif' as having priority.
RECOMMENDATION:
That Council review and discuss the attached notes from the Round Table Meetings on Security in
the Community and identify next steps and those initiatives that staff should pursue further.
DISCUSSION:
a) Background Context:
Council has already taken some critical steps as a result of earlier public input and the input
received in this workshop series. In particular Council has:
• Approved three additional RCMP positions for the detachment along with a support position
in 2005.
• Approved the addition of one by law enforcement position in 2005.
• Approved the allocation of $30,000 annually for community education and neighbourhood
development work in 2005.
• Brought forward a "Grow Op" bylaw for adoption in 2004.
• Approved additional funding for an enhanced Social Planning function resulting in research
into the homeless situation, the establishment of the Alouette Homestart Society and
successful applications for Federal funding for two homeless outreach workers and a youth
safe house
• Approved the use of a Municipal rental house for a youth safe house.
• Obtained grant funding for the development of a comprehensive drug strategy.
• Established a security function in the downtown core public facilities and authorized
additional RCMP and RCMP Auxiliary walking and cycling patrols in the downtown.
• Participated in the Crystal Meth task force.
£19,'
Many more ideas were presented at the round table discussions from a wide variety of
participants including, MP Randy Kamp, MLA Ken Stewart, MLA Randy Hawes, Council
Members, Members of the Board of Trustees (School District 42), the RCMP, Community
Policing Volunteers, Social Service Agency Representatives, various Provincial Ministries,
Municipal Staff, area residents, business owners and several current or previous social service
clients (including several homeless people).
The ideas from the round tables have been captured in the attached documentation and are
forwarded for further discussion and direction.
Desired Outcome:
The desired outcome of the series was to define the impacts of property crime, drug abuse and
homelessness on the community and its residents and to determine what collectively the
community (including individual residents, agencies and all levels of government) can do to
minimize or eliminate those impacts.
Strategic Alignment:
Creating a Safe and Livable Community for our present and future residents is the District's
Mission Statement. Addressing issues such as property crime, drug abuse and homelessness as
they arise is critical to achieving that goal. Doing so collectively as a community is the most
effective approach. Indeed it can be argued that the way we respond to these challenges defines
whether this is a community, in the sense that a true "community" is a collection of people who
face and respond to challenges together for everyone's benefit.
Citizen/Customer Implications:
Citizens have expressed concern to Council about these issues. Engaging the public in
determining the appropriate solutions is an effective way to gather as many ideas as possible, to
delineate roles and follow up responsibilities and to organize the response in an effective fashion.
Continuing dialogue and involvement will be necessary to ensure a successful end result.
Public Information Requirements:
Those who participated will want to know the outcome of their efforts while others will want to
participate in the implementation of some initiatives as they are able. Various approaches will be
necessary to inform and involve people in these initiatives. For example, a network of agencies
and other stakeholders (including the Chamber of Commerce) is being formed to work with the
new outreach workers to address the homeless situation. Many citizens are volunteering in a
variety of community policing initiatives.
1) Interdepartmental-Implications:
This series has underlined the need for ongoing coordination between the RCMP, Bylaw
Enforcement, Social Planning and the many social service agencies and provincial ministries
addressing these concerns. Resources will best be utilized with coordination, collaboration (where
possible) and joint decision making to ensure consistent messages are delivered to clients along
with effective and responsive service.
g) Business Plan/Financial Implications:
There are financial consequences to the initiatives and some are contained in the 2005 municipal
budget. Other initiatives with cost implications will have to be considered in future budgets in the
context of other Municipal priorities. Senior Governments will also be approached since the
"social" services are generally the responsibility of Senior governments in British Columbia.
CONCLUSIONS:
This workshop series has been a positive first step in defining the issues and engaging citizens in
a discussion of the potential solutions. The success of this work will only be determined once full
implementation of the priority initiatives is achieved and the results are measured. Council's
direction with respect to the next steps and those initiatives Council wishes staff to pursue further
with the community would be appreciated.
Prepared b Mike urray
j' General Manager, Community Development
Parks & Recreation Services
MWM
THEMES EMERGING FROM MEETING #1
Problems caused by the homeless (4 or 5 speakers)
• Tent cities
• Sleeping in lobbies and alcoves
• The world is their bathroom
• Theft
• Discarded needles
Causes of Horn elessness (4 or 5 speakers)
• Lack of affordable housing
• Decreased levels of social assistance
• Lack of rehab resources
• Drug use, particularly crystal meth
• Downsizing of Riverview and other mental health facilities
• Lack of "life skills" courses in the school system
• Other communities exporting their homeless to us
Solutions the Municipality may consider (4 or 5 speakers)
• Anti-fighting by-law
• Public toilets
• Anti-Loitering By-law
• Curfew by-law
• Ways to improve MTI collections
• Tax increases dedicated and targeted to enforcement
• Keep the "moving them on" strategy
RCMP not responding as expected by citizens (4 speakers)
-------:---Neighbour-disputes--- ----------- - ____---____ --
• Stave lake pollution example
• Crime in rural area
• Findlay ("pedophile" type alerts & commitment of members)
What can Citizens & Businesses do to Protect themselves?
(3 or 4 speakers)
• CPTED
• Knowing what is going on in your neighborhood
Meeting 1 Notes Page 1 John Leeburn
The need for, "tougher" justice (2 speakers)
• Laws not being enforced by the courts
• Problems with Young Offenders Act
Who is really committing the crimes?
• Homeless?
• Bicycle bandits?
• Organized criminals?
Meeting 1 Notes Page 2 John Leeburn
Property Crime Round Table Discussion Themes
The first of the three scheduled round table discussions took place on October 4th
focusing on property crime. Attendance was excellent with a gOod mix of residents and
business owners. Issues included Residential Property Crime, Business Property
Crime, Personal Safety on our Streets and Vandalism & Graffiti. Key points that were
raised:
Increased enforcement presence
Neighbours helping each other
Security measures and personal safety training & awareness
More activity in the core
Stronger consequences for offenders
Keeping youth busy
Parental responsibility
Drugs & Drug Culture Round Table Themes
The second of the three scheduled round table discussions took place on October 18th focusing
on drugs and the drug culture. Attendance was excellent with a good mix of residents,
community volunteers and health care providers. Issues included Drugs and Youth, Grow-Ops,
What family and friends can do, Blatant use in public and, treatment. Key points that were
raised:
• Broad based community education on:
o What causes drug use
o How to identify drug use
o How to identify addiction
o How to identify grow-ops
• Focused education in the schools on:
• Self-esteem
• Health impacts of drugs
• Expanding and updating the DARE program
• More community resources and support:
• Activities for youth
• Outreach workers
• Assessment specialists
• Neighborhood drug watch
• Police Officers
o Treatment beds
o Out-patient services
• Legislation to permit:
o Regular inspections by landlords
o Easier access to search warrants
o Restriction on the sale of products used in grow-ops & meth labs
o "drug free" zones where the penalties double for violation
The round table discussions provide an opportunity for people to share their concerns and their
ideas for solutions. They also help define roles and responsibilities of government, the judiciary,
the police, citizens and business owners. The final round table discussion will take place at the
Arts Centre Theatre at 7:00pm on Monday, November 1st, and will focus on Homelessness. We
look forward to your participation. If you cannot attend please feel free to write or e-mail with
your concerns and suggestions.
CALENDAR
Date Meeting/Topic Location
Round Table Meeting on Homelessness
Reporting Out Themes
• More senior government funding for outreach workers, family support
workers, support for mental health patients, drug treatment, affordable
housing
• Education in schools; life skills, drug awareness
• Early intervention with at-risk families
• Support for families to encourage healthy family relationships
• Coordinated and integrated approach within MR and within GVRD
• Neighbours helping neighbours
• Motivating and helping homeless to help themselves
• Increased police presence and profile
• Increased volunteer presence and profile
• Target hardening/CPTED
• Community Code of Conduct
• Lobbying for stiffer penalties - stronger consequences
• Reduce minimum square footage for homes to encourage affordable
housing
• Affordable housing and transitional housing
• Employment support workers
• Targeting organized crime (who prey on the homeless)
District of Maple Ridge
Workshop on Property Crime and Personal Security
September 30, 2004
Objectives
To learn from each other and take advantage of our collective wisdom.
To share experiences and explore potential strategies for the District, Senior
Governments, other agencies and the Community in general to consider for
implementation
AGENDA
7 p.m. Welcome, opening remarks and background presentation
Inspector Janice Annstrong
7:20 Table discussions
Topics
Vandalism and Graffiti
Residential Property Crime
Commercial Property Crime
Personal Safety on our streets
Table Agenda
Introductions and appointing recorder/reporter
Sharing experiences and thoughts on what is behind the
problem (cause)
Brainstorming strategies to address the issues / Creating the
community's toolkit
Participant prioritization - Which strategies/tools do
participants feel are most important
8:20 Reporting out on table discussions
8:50 Wrap up and next steps
- Prepare minutes and capture all of the input
- Prepare report on implementation priorities
for Council consideration including a discussion of those items
requiring action by other agencies and senior governments
L
Minutes
Public Workshop on Property Crime
September 30, 2004
7:00 p.m.
Arts Centre & Theatre Lobby:
Inspector Janice Armstrong welcomed the group and introduced MLA Ken Stewart, Maple
Ridge Mayor & Council and local School Trustees. She then reviewed the agenda for the
evening which included a brief introduction until approximately 7:30 p.m. followed by table
discussions on various topics including:
- residential property crime
- commercial property crime
- personal safety on the streets
- vandalism & graffiti
- communication
She indicated the small group discussions would invite participants to share their personal
experiences, identify gaps and potential solutions. Each group would then be asked to prioritize
the areas which would have the greatest impact. -
Inspector Armstrong then reviewed a PowerPoint presentation on the subject (attached to these
minutes).
Small group discussions ensued with ten tables reporting out. Their detailed notes are attached
to these minutes. During the reporting out period several critical themes emerged. These
included:
Insuring a greater presence of the police in the downtown area through bicycle and
foot patrols.
Increasing the level of activity in the downtown through business and residential
development
Increasing efforts on public education to ensure residents are knowledgeable about
the best means to reduce the opportunities for crime (target hardening).
Focusing greater efforts on block watch and neighborhood involycment to ensure
neighbors are looking after each other and providing more "eyes" to look after each
other.
It was noted that several other potential tools were identified by the small groups. Inspector
Armstrong indicated the intent is for city council to review those areas within the municipality's
jurisdiction to explore implementation and to pass other strategies along to others, including
senior governments, for their follow up. Inspector Armstrong emphasized that the solutions to
these and the other problems which would be the subject of future forums would require a multi-
faceted approach and the entire community working together.
MLA Ken Stewart and Mayor Kathy Morse both thanked the attendees for participating and look
forward to future forums. They reiterated Inspector Armstrong's emphasis on the need for the
District, Senior Governments, the community and other agencies to work collaboratively to
address the issues.
The workshop concluded at approximately 9:15 p.m.
Town Hall Meetings
September 30, 2004
Flip Chart and Round Table Reports
Flip Chart #1
Personal Safety
- Safety is an illusion
o Break ins
o Not all crimes are reported
Pedestrian
• Bicycle, general public
• Block watch program - creating community to oversee neighbourhood
• Daytime vs. evening (safer feeling in daytime)
• "Boldness" by transients/aggressive show of crime. No regard for
time/location of crime.
• Walkways (paths) used as drug use/transfer locations.
• Uneasy feeling in evening. Aware of surroundings and appearances (lighting)
• "groups" of homeless
Personal Property Theft
o Homeless is not necessarily cause of crime
o Violence creates uneasiness in neighbourhood/home
o Unless crime has personally occurred, general public aloof
Consequences:
- Judicial system inefficient/accountability
Strategies:
- Know your neighbours/block parties
- get involved through community services
- Utilize your neighbours to help look after property
- "Target hardening" (creating environment less 'target' friendly) i.e. motion lights,
club, home maintenance; appearance
- Be aware of surroundings
- Create safety net; check in when leaving/arriving
- Take back the streets program/be visible/proactive
- Be prepared
Community offering seminars re:
o conflict resolution
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #1
o home safety
o self-defense
Educate at early age on:
o Vandalism
o Theft
o Violence (TV, games)
o Drug abuse
Parental involvement
- Utilize families and family time for more productive events
- Utilize current agencies to bond services
- Positive reinforcement for good done by youth
- Community focus has been good in youth
- Create more dialogue through meetings like these. Community workshops.
Focus groups.
Homeless Safety
- Afraid for their own safety
- Have been targets
- Not necessarily cause of crimes
Youth
- Youth may be committing crimes (types of stolen goods)
- Youth threatening to public
- Abusive (verbally) to public
- Feeling "intimidated" by youth; 'boldness'; 'disrespect
Business Crimes .
- Crimes sometimes caused by employees
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #2
Flip Chart #2
Causes of V&G
- School
o Graffiti/Stats
o Fires
oB&E
o Inside - Locker damage and book damage
- Parks - lots of vandalism in Parks
- Community Acceptance - lack of consequences
- Escalation in number of incidents and severity (fire evidence increasing)
- School B&E's increasing
- Schools are target ... particularly inner city schools (i.e. Eric Langton)
- Success - concentrate on each school, i.e. Fairview
- People involvement big part of reducing vandalism
- Kids (and young adults) hang out where they feel hidden & secure
- Distinguish between mischief and theft
- % of kids involved smaller than most people think
- Casual, unthinking damage in schools
- Lack of community engagement
- Parent responsibility is an issue - parents are busy - lack of supervision
- Schoorride helps reduce vandalism
- Calls to hot line are acted on
- Tagging is a problem
- Tagging not taken seriously by criminal justice system
- Frustrating when there is no priority to tagging
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #3
- New York - no call is too small
- Community does not clean up graffiti fast enough
- Some Taggers are 'celebrities'
- Use community murals/art project to address tagging
Issues - Responsiveness:
Needs to be a consequence for every act of vandalism
Diversion
Changing level of acceptance
Message to community
o Global -- specific
o Easier to relate to
Needs to be a consequence for every act of vandalism/graffiti
o. hotline: respond to call
follow up - 'closing circle'
o Youth Diversion Program
o Community/Local Government/Senior Levels
2. Change level of acceptance
o lower mainland - very
o communicate problem
o awareness
o education
o acceptance
o pride
Engage community (sensitive)
PAC plays leading role
Respond to 'expressed' concerns
Ownership/Responsibility for Public Property
Student Awareness
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #4
Flip Chart #3
- Community resistant to reporting small crimes
- No notification of problem areas on a consistent basis
- 911 response - realistic information on response time
- Volunteer stats
- Progress that we have made
- "The good stuff"
- Programs we have
- How information can be collëctedlpresented to the community from the town or
police
- Community is resistant to report small crime
o Result - no stats are collected -'
o Problem is not known
- Communities are not being told if there is a problem in an area.
o Possible solution: press releases by Police
- How much information can be given?
- How much information does public want?
- 911 response
• some operators good/some bad
• some will try to educate the caller as to a realistic response
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #5
Flip Chart #4
Report back - Ronnie
- Vandal - associated with other activities
o Not often caught
- SD42 - $50 per head - organize Neighbourhood - fear of pay back
o Hot Line - anonymous reporting
o Stripping school of property reported to hot line
- Taggers - 14-20-22
- Graffiti hot line need more public awareness
- Big pants hide stuff
- Profile by the dress code
- Prime targets for Taggers
- Lighting - plants around property
- Be aware of whose purchasing supplies i.e. spray paint
- Keying cars? Willful damage?
- Spray paints and felt pens on cars
- Increases in insurance premiums - theft - vandals - personal stuff in vehicles
increases house insurance
- $50 perperson
- Times will help with more publicity - publish hot line numbers
- Engage Biz - adopt a block pair up get input from community
- Sprinklers - Opra Kid repellents
- Zit Lites- 7-11 - show Acne
- Venues for community meetings
- Block Watch - push - community meetings
- Know your neighbours!
- Grow-ops more visible
- One Growup perblock+Y2
- Neighbours policing each other's yard/property
- Beef up Block Watch
- Proper use of 911
- Hydro - Tel paint over
- Coating on wails not graffiti friendly
- Tags - tag to get noticed - speedy cover ups
- Planet Ice - persistent on back wall
- Key areas - hot spots
- Digital photos - Tag Net - repeat offenders ID and share on Tag Net
- Rape ID from BBY - Miss Sock
- CDRS (?)- 223 & Macintosh
- Want to be seen
- Using Grey and Free walls are not an answer
- Juried 6 months
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #6
- Murals? On school walls
- Groups to partner up with Bizcom
- To cover graffiti, move kids
- Pick up needles
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #7
Flip Chart #5
Causes of concern in Downtown Core:
- Drugs
- Sidewalk design - telephone poles
- Crosswalk safety
- * Lighting
- * Signals for visually impaired
- Public drunkenness - aggressiveness, youth
- Bicycles - skateboards on sidewalks
- Markings on curbs for visibility
Strategies
- Drugs public education
Services - drug & alcohol
1 Foot Patrol increase
- Outreach worker for building trust
- Bylaw enforcement
Lighting - around bus stops (street scape)
- Drunkenness/aggressiveness - foot patrols at night
- Bicycles/skateboards on sidewalks - Bylaw enforcement officers
- Markings on tripping hazards - broken cement, etc.
- Densify downtown core - attract businesses/housing which will draw
population
Sidewalk design - long term plan for removing visual impediments (telephone poles)
- Cross walk safety - lighting at cross walks
- Painting
- Keep paint visible
Handwritten Notes:
Personal Safety:
Increase Police and Volunteer presence
- FOot patrol
- education
- Outreach workers
- Bylaw enforcement, (PM)
- Eliminate public drunk
Increased Lighting/Pavement Painting
- Bus stops
- Cross walks
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #8
Removal of S/W obstructions
Telephone poles, signs
- Tripping hazards
- Skateboards/bicycles
- Better design
3. Long term (core)
- Densify core, attractions
- Attract business, mixed use
Commercial Crime:
Attractive products
Recruitment standards (RCMP)
Inexperienced RCMP
Lack of people downtown after dark
Poor property design
- Education awareness
Private security
Community awareness
Education of police
Cooperative business watch
Research other communities that have business property crime
Our conclusion:
- Cooperative business education and awareness
- Insuring that downtown neighboring businesses are on same page
- Research other communities that have had positive results and solutions
Notes:
Commercial Property Crime Cause
- ?? commodity
- ? experienced
- Poor property design
- Not enough people downtown
- Poor response time
Courts
Strategies to address problems
- Provide security guard
- Target hardening facilities
- Cooperative business watch
- Education
- Research best practices from other communities
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #9
Handwritten Notes:
Public Info on Credit Cards
- Have credit card numbers listed for safety purposes
- Skimming of credit cards
- Don't let restaurants take your card
- Keep cheque book separate from ID material
- Neighborhood watch
- Don't keep garage door opener in cards
- Inform RCMP of minor situations eventtheft of wallet
- Inform other neighbours
- Inform community of no tolerance areas
- Apt. blocks - time forpostal workers
- Utilize Community neighborhood circles as a venue for education
- Block Watch aiding, knowing our neighbour, forewarning
Solution:
- Public information campaign re credit card safety and how to handle paper
work - shredding
- Target hardening
- Block Watch - have neighbors know their neighbours and look out for
each other
- Community Events
- use these as info spreading events
- community event
- use students - educate around safety and property safety
Handwritten Notes:
Residential Property Crime:
- Alarm Company
- Police have been dispatched
- False sense of security
- Response time
- Can't get there
- Peopleshouid get to knowach other
- Observe cars
Examples
- Neighbors come together
- strange occurrences - motion detectors coming on, noises, coming into homes
while people sleep
- people must use their alarms systems, lights
- people are casing during the day - removing light bulbs
- clash of culture
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #10
- vulnerable to crime
- lack of personal responsibility
- respect for police - locking
- media exposure contributes to crime and lack of responsibility
- planning small lot sub-divisions - spaced far apart - hard to access
- What constitutes a police response - false alarms - not false
- Divide town into smaller areas '
- 1960 systemic society problem - lack of respect - challenge the system
- market for stolen goods
- communication
- property crime due to drugs
- Maple Ridge too large for our police force
- Crime due to drugs - respect - systemic issues - behavior how we respond - get a
good deal
- Right people doing the jobS
- Release police to important items
- People must come together - Block party weekend
- Challenging authority
- Respect for rural lands
- Planning —density and rural areas
o Little for youth to do
o Crime from urban background don't know how to entertain themselves in
rural environment
o Rural changes fast - can't leave doors/shops open
o Opportunity beckons
- Personal responsibility
- Systemic forceful problem
o Lack of respect - punishment
o Challenge authority
o Since 1960 - government - media effect
o Crime due to drugs
o Facilitated by people buying the goods 'boy, did I get a good deal on a
TV'
o Rurallurban
o Block Party weekend
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #11
Handwritten Notes:
People's testimonials:
- 0 since 1985
- 3 B&E (when people are home)
- 2 car thefts since Aug. 28
- 7 people in home
- B&E
- Got a lecture on unsafe firearms
- Politically corrected
- Sally Ann has attracted transient/bike people
- Broken 2x
Solutions: not prioritized
- Treated with disrespect/dismissive
- Spike in crime since Aug/04
- No bike patrol in visibility in West Maple Ridge
- More bike patrols
- More promotion/foot patrols/incentives
- Tap into high schools/programs
- Street lights
- Bicycles - ok so they aren't the main problem, however, they are a problem
- Block watch - find captain 465-2420 (know your neighbour) promote community
- Stiffer penalties (lobby the government)
- Ad campaign for aggressive safer streets (we are all in it together) apathy - how
to secure your home
- Be responsible for your own property. Secure your home
- Create meetings
- Campaign - partnership - business/city/citizens - crime prevention
Handwritten Notes:
- Home alarm monitoring programs
- False alarm charges
- Neighbors assist one another
- People committed toIfl into on-e's propfty use rriOtion sensors
- People coming into homes while residents are in home
- Lit house #
- Folks are organized e.g. in busier area where neighbors are not home - B&E takes
place - lights
- Municipal planning - 224th1 & 102— putting high density into rural areas -*
young families w/children - soon will be teens who are not well entertained
- People who move in from urban areas - created a cultural clash and teens not
being able to entertain themselves - falling into less desirable elements
- There is little respect
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #12
- Does a child's life have to be always structured 4 associated costs
- Children are not playing as much any more
- Youth are not taking responsibility 4 adult attitudes being passed on
- No fear of consequences today - all ages e.g. littering, language (??? Through the
media)
- Young people has no way to express their anger
- 10-12 year olds on the street at all hours - no respect over for their parents
- we tend to judge others based upon our values/beliefs
- the closer people are together, the greater opportunity for problems
- concern about emergency services attending in a timely maimer - -planning
department has a responsibility
- who constitutes reason for the police to attend re property crime?
- Can we divide MR into smaller sections - police atoms
- A systemic problem is evolved since the 60's - not necessarily due to e.g. to
density
- I'll do whatever I want
- People sue everyone else - when we look at our young people - they haven't
learned better
- Communications network
- Organized crime - stated the alcohol prohibition - same as drugs today
- Who buys the stolen goods
- Communications systems
- Property crimes - drugs
- Too large
- Systemic issue
- Have the right people doing the job - we don't need police tied up with minimal?
tasks (e.g. radar)?
Top issues:
- Systematic issues - one's personal values 4 their characters
- Block Watch type activities - roping off streets
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #13
Business/Commercial Property Crime Round Table
Facilitator: John L
Council: Ernie D
RCMP: Hilton H
Community: Fred TIMES Newspai'er
Ingrid Women's Commission
Rick Warm Hearth (Fireplaces)
Peter MR Lighting
Factors Contributing to Business/Residential Property Crime (in no particular order):
> Kids with nothing to do but hang around downtown
> Downtown is deserted at night
Kids with too much money and freedom
Break down of family values
Parents not parenting
Lack of security in stores
> Police don't attend until a crime has been committed - won't respond to suspicious
behavior
> Three tiers of crime
o Mischievous kids (smashing windows just for the thrill of it)
o Street folks stealing scrap and other unattended things
o Organized crime (casing businesses so they know what they want and where it is
located within the store - break-ins that are clearly planned and well executed -
elaborate system of lookouts with walkie-talkies..
Suggestions (in some particular order)
Police beat and bike patrols downtown.
Increased lighting and activity downtown
A levy to pay for policing
Parents charged or paying for crimes committed by their kids
Curfew By-Law
Other Ideas:
Merchants banding together to hire private security
> Video cameras downtown
> Enhanced proactive role for social services
> Loitering by-law
> Stiffer sentencing for repeat offenders
> Community service for repeat offenders
> Longer tours of duty in MR for RCMP members
Town Hall Meeting Notes - September 30, 2004 #14
Business/Commercial Property Crime Round Table
Facilitator: John L
Council: Ernie D
RCMP: Hilton H
Community: Fred TIMES Newspaper
Ingrid Women's Commission
Rick Warm Hearth (Fireplaces)
Peter MR Lighting
Factors Contributing to Business/Residential Property Crime (in
no particular order):
> Kids with nothing to do but hang around downtown
> Downtown is deserted at night
> Kids with too much money and freedom
Break down of family values
> Parents not parenting
> Lack of security in stores
Police don't attend until a crime has been committed - won't respond to
suspicious behavior
> Three tiers of crime
o Mischievous kids (smashing windows just for the thrill of it)
o Street folks stealing scrap and other unattended things
o Organized crime (casing businesses so they know what they want and
where it is located within the store - break-ins that are clearly planned
and well executed - elaborate system of lookouts with walkie-talkies
Suggestions (in some particular order)
Police beat and bike patrols downtown
Increased lighting and activity downtown
A levy to pay for policing
4Päènthäédb ifOiës - --
5. Curfew By-Law
Other Ideas:
> Merchants banding together to hire private security
) Video cameras downtown
Enhanced proactive role for social services
> Loitering by-law
> Stiffer sentencing for repeat offenders
Community service for repeat offenders
> Longer tours of duty in MR for RCMP members
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
2001 2002 2003 2004
13 residential
commercial
0 other
Property Crime
Safe Homes Safe Communities
Property Crime
• Break & Enter (residential,
commercial)
•Auto Theft
•Vandalism (graffiti, willful damage)
Break & Enter
January - August
Auto Crime
January - August
1200
1000
800 ------------ ______
400
200
±_
2001
H1
2002 2003
J {Stoien
[]eft From
.iI:I
2004
Vandalism
January - August
1400
1200
1:::
400
200
- lowiliful Damagel
2001 2002 2003 2004
Property Crime
a direct link to the drug
scene in Maple Ridge
2
REAlITIES
OF
POLICE WORK
Strategies
j
Working together to build a
safer community.
3
Allocation of Police Resources
• 57- General Duty . 4 - Forensic Identification
• 4 - Drug Section . 1 - Training/Media
• 6 - Property Crime . 1 - Dog Master
• 4 - School Liaison . 4 - Administrative
• 6 - Traffic • 4 - Community Policing
• 4 - General Investigations
Support Staff
40+ - Municipal 2 -Victim Services
180— Crime Prevention Volunteers
30 Search & Rescue Volunteers
VOLUNTEER
PROGRAMS
tANt t6.QV - AltISt ST
2001 2002 2003 2004
Total Volunteer Hours .:4324- 7221 . 50125 12,947;
Total Vehicles Checked .' 18562 - 21,924 28350 64,427
Total Recovered Vehicles '.. 3 , " . . -' 15 24
Volunteer Programs:
Citizens on Patent Citizens Volunteer Bike Patrol
Speed Wetu 5 Victbn Serviocs
ReeltyWanoh PittMasdowsConnnnnzeityPniiningOrflne
Csznornzflity Policing Coeaeittrne (4) 900iliury Constables
Safe Homes. Safe Communities.
ri
District of Maple Ridge
Town Hall Workshop on Drugs and the Drug Culture
October 18th, 2004
Objectives
To learn from each other and take advantage of our collective wisdom.
To share experiences and explore potential strategies for the District, Senior
Governments, other agencies and the Community in general to consider for
implementation
AGENDA
7 p.m. Welcome, opening remarks and background presentations
Corporal Dave Walsh - Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows RCMP
Mr. Rob Daiziel
Mr. Jim Kelly - Alouette Addictions
7:3 0 Table discussions
Topics
Grow Ops and Meth Labs
Drugs and Youth
What Family and Friends can do
Treatment
Blatant Drug Activity in Public
Table Agenda
Introductions and appointing recorder/reporter
Sharing experiences and thoughts on what is behind the problem
(cause)
Brainstorming strategies to address the issues / Creating the
community's toolkit
Participant prioritization - Which strategies/tools do participants feel
are most important
8:20 ReportIng out on table discussIons
8:50 Wrap up and next steps
- Prepare minutes and capture all of the input
- Prepare report on implementation priorities
for Council consideration including a discussion of those items
requiring action by other agencies and senior governments
Minutes
Public Workshop on Drugs & Drug Culture
October 18, 2004
7:00 p.m.
Arts Centre & Theatre Lobby:
Corporal Dave Walsh of the RCMP Drug Squad opened the meeting by welcoming everyone
present and described the agenda for the evening. He then went on to describe his experience as
a member of the RCMP responsible for drug enforcement.
The highlights of his presentation were:
Police do not have enough resources to stay on top of the drug culture and organized crime
involvement.
The Police do not see a lot of deterrence through the judicial system in that there are little or
no consequences when individuals are charged with trafficking or operating grow ops, etc.
The time involved in obtaining search warrants and the bureaucracy necessary in order to
force the criminal code with respect to drugs and drug issues is considerable.
He then turned the meeting to Rob Dalzeil who was himself an addict at one point and now
works for a recovery house. His message was that sufficient treatment facilities need to be
available as soon as possible after an addict determines they want to change their lifestyle.
Additional resources are necessary in order to get people off drugs. He also mentioned that early
intervention with youth is critical and youth education is critical to keep young people away
from Crystal Meth and other equally serious drugs.
Corporal Walsh then invited the groups to join their various sub-tables to go through the agenda
sharing their personal experiences, talking about what some of the strategies could be in the
community to address the issues and prioritizing those strategies. .Each group was then invited to
report out to the largcr meeting with the attached notes reflecting that information.
Mayor Kathy Morse and MLA Ken Stewart thanked everyone for attending and extended an
invitation to the next meeting on Homelessness on November 1, 2004.
-- Meeting adi ourneda :10 p.m. ----- ------------- -.
Town Hall Meetings
October 18, 2004
Flip Chart and Round Table Reports
Flip Chart #1 - General Discussion
Drug Use & Youth
Problems
- Laissez-fair attitude towards drugs
- "Can't happen to them attitude
- Parents not modeling respectful behaviour
- Lack of understanding about health consequences (long-term effects)
- Feeling shamed by peer pressure
- "Children raising children" generation
- Out-dated prevention programs
- Media glamorizes drug use to impressionable youth
Solutions:
- Kids volunteering (contribution = self-worth)
- Activities for youth of all ages
- Fostering leadership roles in youth - mentorship, safe classrooms, teaching
conflict resolution, etc.
Enforcement for Youth:
- More focus on high traffic areas (known drug houses, etc)
- It takes a community to raise a child!
- Alternative measures that are consequences to youth when they are involved in
criminal activity (i.e. working for SPCA, etc)
- Developing more comprehensive drug programs in schools (health consequences)
- having recovôred addicts speak
- Parent education
- Outreach workers to speak to kids in high traffic areas - "hanging out"
Town Hall Meeting Notes - October 18, 2004 #1
Flip Chart #2 - What are the Problems?
- Mental Health
- Peer Pressure
- Anxiety
- Self-esteem
- Family Home/Life.... 2 parents working, lack of family, detachment
- Pre-Dispositioñ
- Lack of Education
- "Quick Fix"
- No consistent message - re social acceptance w/certain drugs
- Lack of consequences
- Influence (first) is parent or older person
- "Better to do it here (at home) than out in public"
- Lack of education for parents
Solutions:
- Educational Information (i.e. guidelines, physical consequences - reality of) at:
o Liquor store
o Recreation Centres
o Doctor's office
o Newspaper
o Schools
o Sport Centres
- Ongoing life skills approach - "scared straight"
- Asset Building
- Recognition of Signs of Addiction
- Early education and awareness
- Age appropriate messages and consistency
- Have more citizens concerned abut the problem
- Honesty
- Family Nights *
- Too much info can be a disservice
- Understanding trends and fads
- $ for solutions to best fit program rather than all "hit and miss" programs
- Community impact statements - PlanningneTwork
Town Hall Meeting Notes - October 18, 2004 #2
Flip Chart #3
- Educate the public on how to identify Grow Ops and Meth Labs
- Grow Op Bylaw to enforce - strict penalties
- Explore legalities of restricting, controlling, regulating products used in
production of Crystal Meth
Flip Chart #4 - Causes
"Organized Crime" - Various Levels
- Grow Ops
- Recruit kids to do property crime
- Import
- Distribution
- Laundering proceeds - local business
- Real Estate purchases ($ reporting loophole?) Pay cash
Legal System
- t 'I'penalties
- Lack ofdeterrent
- U.S. Opening Jails - Canada Closing them
Personal Causes - i.e. self-esteem
- Disease
- Broad issues
Community Causes
- Ambivalence
- Head in the sand
- Vulnerable, uneducated segment of Society (kids)
- 't' variety of ingestible drugs (no needle)
- Not tough enough ! i.e. Methadone Program ('t failure rate)
- Parent Role Models?
- Peer Pressure
Education
- Start at Grade 5 and carry on through all years
- No smoking
- No drinking and driving
- No drugs message not as strong
- Parents or Responsible Adults - role models
- Hereditary problem in your family? Aware of consequences
- Expand DARE
o involve parents to become part of the solution
Town Hall Meeting Notes - October 18, 2004 #3
o know how to ID Drug use
- Employers
Social Acceptance
- Alcohol (+10-20% predisposition to alcoholism) *
- Marijuana - confusion re illegality *
* Stepping stone - gateway drugs
Solutions:
- Focus on addiction vs. "illegal drugs"
DARE Program
- Remove stigma - illegal drugs
- School commit resources or integrate topic into the curriculum
- Bring to elementary level - kindergarten
- Employers - Industry get more involved
- Educate Parents
Solutions for People - Active (?) Addiction
- Available treatment/detox - i.e. wait lists and follow up (cont'd care)
- All levels of government take responsibility, i.e.
o red tape for zoning
o taxes
o limits on number of beds
Flip Chart #5— Grow Ops & Meth Labs
Some growing issues in the community
o Close to home
o Little deterrents in neighborhoods
o Absentee landlords
o Realtors turning a blind eye
o Safety issues
o Risk to children
o Riks invOlVed infeOtting a grow Op
o Communicating with the police
Let's solve this....
- create accountability (within justice system)
- more involvement in Block Watch - promotion Block Watch
- Use awareness
- Closer neighborhoods
- Pressure to trace chemical ingredient purchasing
- Education
Town Hall Meeting Notes - October 18, 2004 #4
- Brochures on what to look for
Accountability:
- Police - responses
- Justice system
- Landlords
- Realtors
- Neighbors
Exposure:
Knowledge
Acceptance
Education
Sharing
Flip Chart #6— Grow Ops
- Legalize marijuana
- Landlord inspections
- Offshore owner operations
- Concern regarding tenant rights?
- Rental agreement
- Neighborhood watch could include drug house awareness
- Police capacity
- Consequences from the courts
- Timeline for pharmaceuticals for MethlAmphetamines to be taken off shelves
both drug stores and vitamin stores
- Lack of consequences in family, courts, community
- Grow op bylaw enacted/enforced
- Proposal/Request MLA's/MP's AG Solicitor General
o What is the government or courts case law?
o Reluctant to get touch?
o 3 times you are out - drug dealers
- Chige phikophy?
Meth Labs
- Timeline for pharmaceutical college re: behind counter
- ?health food stores sales
- Ephedrine needs to be a controlled substance
- Sale of equipment to grow ops
- Meth Lab's supplies them - internet
- Search warrants - too cumbersome - to get info with privacy law - takes too
much time
Town Hall Meeting Notes - October 18, 2004 #5
Flip Chart #7— Prevention Programs
- Start the DARE Program earlier i.e. grade 4
- Make people responsible for their actions
- Community responsibility
- Low or no cost activities for youth
- Poor self-esteem/interpersonal skills
- More concurrent disorder therapists
- More collaboration with public health nurses in the school
- Volunteerismlprevention
- $$ for prev./tx treatment
Flip Chart #8 - Blatant Drug Activity
- Priority - Drug Prevention
- Education
- Target - Grade 4,5,6
- Partnerships Required:
• Ministry Education
• Ministry Health
o Ministry Solicitor General/Attorney General
o MinistryChildren & Family
o Social Assistance
Possible Causes for Drug Abuse:
- Lack of parental supervision
- MCF enables the dropout of school, emphasis on children raising children
- Drugs are mobile and available 24/7
- No accountability for recurring MCF assistance/or efforts to offer assistance
- Rap culture influence
- ineffective judicial system - "not in public interest to prosecute"
- Cool to walk around streets with liquor (no consequences)
- Family role model - dysfunction breeds dysfunction
- Cost of drugs— steal
- Decent citizens jump at opportunity to "buy" stolen property at great deal
Recommendations:
- Education: grade 4,5,6
- Parents mandatory
- Reward for participation - consequence for NOT
- Educate the public
-Make everyone aware of what drug abuse activity looks like
- Media - over-promotion of RAP culture (sells CD, DVD, Video)
Town Hall Meeting Notes - October 18, 2004 #6
Flip Chart #9 - General Discussion
Education
- children/kids tools - addiction proof
- parents
- family - friends
- neighbors (strong)
Education =
Resources
Physical Appearance
Support to families
- Addiction? Understanding when/why - takes over life
The broad issues - having a comprehensive support system
Town Hall Meeting Notes - October 18, 2004 #7
District of Maple Ridge
Round Table Forum on Homelessness
November 1, 2004
Goal
To reduce homelessness and the impacts of homelessness on residents and the
community
Objectives for tonight
To learn from each other and take advantage of our collective wisdom.
To share experiences and explore potential strategies for the District, Senior
Governments, other agencies and the Community in general to consider for
implementation
AGENDA
7 p.m. Welcome, opening remarks and background presentation
Mike Murray
7:20 Table discussions
Topics
Impacts on Businesses
Impacts on Neighbourhoods
Shelters, Soup Kitchens and Treatment
Youth Homeless Issues
Transition and Affordable Housing
Table Agenda
Introductions and appointing recorder/reporter
Sharing experiences and thoughts on what is behind the
problem (cause)
Brainstorming strategies to address the issues / Creating the
community's toolkit
Participant prioritization - Which strategies/tools do
participants feel are most important
8:30 Reporting out on table discussions
8:50 Wrap up and next steps
- Prepare minutes and capture all of the input
- Prepare report on implementation priorities
for Council consideration including a discussion of those items
requiring action by other agencies and senior governments
Minutes
Public Workshop on Homelessness
November 1, 2004
7:00 p.m.
Arts Centre & Theatre Lobby:
Mr. Mike Murray opened the meeting and introduced himself as moderator and welcomed those
in attendance.
MP Randy Kamp, MLA Ken Stewart and Mayor Kathy Morse addressed the group in attendance
thanking them for their participation and acknowledging the need for collaboration from the
community up to the senior levels of government to address the issue of homelessness and the
other issues identified in the town hall series.
Mike Murray went through the attached PowerPoint presentations. The groups reported out at
8:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. highlighting some of the points of their discussions which are more fully
reported on the attached notes.
Mike Murray thanked everyone for attending and indicating that the Council would be
considering all the input obtained from the series in terms of considering next steps.
The workshop concluded at approximately 9:10 p.m.
Maple Ridge Town Hall Meetings
November 1, 2004
Homelessness
Flip Chart and Round Table Reports
Flip Chart #1
Experiences:
- Tent set up in neighborhood
- Neighborhood crime on the rise
- New res. To the community/has noticed a lot of homeless people (from TriCities —Port
Moody)
- Blanket Rooms - set up for "Cheap" rent
- Vacancies in E. side (affordable rents) available - stigma
- Theft from property
- Alcoholism?
- Lack of subsidized/affordable/trans. Housing
- Lack of awareness/support fm. Neighborhoods to accom.
- Lack of funding to provide trans/supp housing "Sufficient"
- Mental Health
- Lack of life skills/support "Continuum"
- Break the cycle of addiction
- Youth (Family break-ups)
- Nowhere to send youth
- Federal Government providing less $ 10 years ago
Solutions:
- Transitional Housing 4 youth
- SCPI - Funding for homelessness initiatives
- In-Home family support worker
- All agencies working together to support family needs
- Integrated supported model 1CM
- Plan an alternative model with the homeless people, i.e. shelter/support services
- Accurate stats on the homeless people i.e. sex, age, special needs
- Involving neighborhoods in the solutions
- Maximizing rental units
- Continued support for S.P. at a municipal level
- Deal with issues at a grassroots level
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #1
Flip Chart #2 - Soup Kitchens
Much more to fix and address first
Removing the sigma through:
o Education and awareness
• Unscrupulous landlords and businessmen
• Employment - support workers in the community
• Easy access to Legal Aid
• Transitional Housing - 7 days in - 7 days out
• Access to phones, newspapers, for job hunts
• Affordable housing - discrimination - remove
• Security deposits - abuse
• Detox beds
• More resources other than Social Services, employment insurance
• Community Volunteers to assist places i.e. the Caring Place with skills to link
housing / employment
• Organized crime prey on homeless, addicts targeting the weak and needy (missing
women and children)
• Outreach Workers
o Youth - need to be reached before
o Lost our transition house due to Federal cuts
o Parents need to care about their kids instead of themselves
Flip Chart #3— Business Impacts
- Federal Policy for affordable housing (CMHC)
o Encourage mixed housing (high income, low income, disabled)
o Spread out (co-op)
- See people on street - feel for Business Owners
Experience not having home - MR warmer
- Business in downtown - changed (more homes) - increased
- Sometimes good experiences/sometimes bad experiences
- Confrontation between homeless - frustrating
- Not easy thing to deal with
Several reasons (can't lump together) complication
- Never homeless - can't relate
- Parents "don't care"
- Educating people don't let go
- Government policies - Riverview closed
• Hotels (revenue) substandard
• Created ghetto
• Economics created ghettos
• How to change people's attitudes
• Young people game
- Homelessness in past here - but low key
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #2
- Initiated with homelessness - people don't have to adhere to rules
- Come from dysfunctional families
- Values diminished
- Mom's Dad's out working/depend on teachers what happens/kids not involved with
parents
- How to deal with people on streets
o Why don't take advantage of what is offered
- Impact on business (carts out on sidewalks in front of business)
- Toronto experiences - bigger issue
- Stepping over people behind businesses
- Citizen on patrol
- Solutions - don't have any
o Cutbacks
o Mental health low resources
- Government needs to reinstate funding
o Help for families
- Kids
Causes:
- Income gap
- Disparity
- Society - materialism (big house)
- Affordable housing - not being built
o Land to expensive
- Society - growing dysfunctional family morals and families
- School system/police - society wants them to take care
- People want to do little
- People have broader lives/less problems
- Community too independent
o Need to go back to interdependence (community working together)
o Depend on each other
- Average family spend 50% of food budget 'eating out'
- Financial pressure that families are putting on themselves (second income - net income)
- What is the incentive
- Must do it yourself
- Encourage and teach people to help themselves
o Mentor/Counselor to talk to (like Paraplegic Assoc.)
Solutions - Business Impacts
- Teach people to help themselves
- Develop community rather than a place to live
- Government need to look at priorities - a serious look. Are the people the priority (or
success of business?)
- Start with the people - how can you:
o Support/finance back into the way of life
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #3
o Get those people (once on their feet) to help others
- Focus on prevention - education and prevention
Flip Chart #4— Transition Housing
- Homelessness is a complex issue
• Evident that some people need a more structured environment (Mental Illness)
• Everyone has had a different experience with homelessness. From a distance through
their jobs or from a more personal involvement.
Cause:
- Mental illness
- Drugs
- Choice
- Chain of events
What can be done?
- There is no easy solution
- Locally - Caring Place
a Where do we go from there?
Option:
- Structured transition housing (with strict criteria)
- Community needs to support and welcome transition housing (treated with more
empathy)
Regional Option:
A fair, division of transition houses throughout the GVRD
- Re-open a portion of Riverview who can provide a more structured environment
Provincially: -
- Look at vacant buildings that can be utilized as transition housing.
Council:
- Pressure Provincial government to secure already existing Government owned
buildings/funds to sustain transition housing i.e. Riverview
- Long term sustainable plan
Flip Chart #5 —NeIghborhoOd impacts
- Unacceptable behaviors - urinating, shooting up, language
- Criminal activity - theft, break and enter mischief
- Visual - out of town opinion, sanitation issues, location
- Not feeling safe:
- - loitering/trespassing
- - invasion of privacy
- sense of being overwhelmed - numbers on the rise (how are we doing -- j,accurate
numbers) * Not just here.
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #4
Strategies/Ideas
- Increased police presence: - foot patrols, bike patrols
- Neighborhood awareness:
• Get to know your neighbours
• Keeping an eye out
• Lighting
• Knowing who is supposed to be there
• Block Watch
- Citizens on Patrol
• Volunteer bike patrol
• Walk about
• ICBC Dog Walking Programs
- Accurate information
o How big is the problem?
o What are the problems (Drug? Mental health issues)
- Cooperative Approach
o Organizations/agencies
o GVRD regional
- Funding
o Federal Government
o Provincial Government
- Facilities needed
o WHERE can they be located?
o Dilemma ????
Flip Chart #6— Causes of Homelessness
- Poverty
- Addictions -
- Mental Health Issues
- Lack of Motivation - need to have lifestyle change
- Changes at Ministry Level - . Disability - resources not available
- Need to present as a continuum of how we meet needs of homeless - housing one part.
MöreCãüses:
- Decentralization of larger institutions (RV)
- Poverty issues - e.g. single parent - ends up in a shelter, loses child - leads to MH Issues
- *Lack of
- Stigma - perception that all homeless are mentally ill, addicted or choose life style
- Loss of Family Unit
- housing prices
- # of elderly unable to live on pensionllack of family support
- Cut in welfare rates and disability pensions
- Disincentives to work if you have any support from Government
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #5
Minimum wages too low - can't live on them
Claw back of earnings if you are receiving assistance
What More Can Maple Ridge Do?
- Stories in Papers - *Creates awareness - educate
- Preventive process - what do we need to do to intervene early?
• Latch key kids
• Need to have community services to help kids stay cormectedlengaged
• Able to build positive relationships
• More programs like youth centre
• How do we keep kids cotmected to community when many are having to move on a
regular basis
• More programs like "Character Meaning" currently in place at Caring Place
* Have a coordinated, united approach to addressing the problem amongst levels of
government and Ministries, departments.
- "City Makeover" - Approach - Greg
- Build on work done by Alouette Home Start and Child, Youth and Family Network
- Need Common Vision - Action Plan - Priorities
- $$ Need More - A&D and MH and Police resources
- Need $$ for housing
* Especially Transitional Housing and Licensed Residential
- Need $ for support services
- BC Housing (Mental Health) - Look at policies
- Subsidy
e.g. Providing subsidy for housing for M/H without insisting they have a Community
Living Support worker (CLS). Attached to the subsidy
e.g. 1 Case Manager could support several clients if they could have housing subsidy.
- Need to help citizens understand need and purpose of Transitional Housing
- "YIMBY" not "NIMBY"
Handwritten Notes #1:
Six Groups:
Truly homeless
True criminals
Drug & Alcohol
Mental Health
Chaos
6 Transients
• Didn't find any 'truly homeless' - no young people
• There are relatively homeless youth - they put themselves out of safety
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #6
• What is homelessness re youth - need to define
• There are youth in the community that are homeless - they do not have a consistent roof.
• Maybe we need to distinguish between homeless and shelter less.
• There are relatively shelter less young people
• The young person that the police are seeing may not be the young person who is moving
from one place to another
• The community doesn't want the services for "these people" e.g. transition home near
41st & Fraser Street Vancouver.
• 25-30 youth on youth agreements in this area. Often young people do not want to accept
the services offered for e.g. by MCFD
• Strong foster care services in MRIPM
• After Hours - emergency care through MCFD
• Parent's hands are tied somewhat in terms of what they can do
• We need to be proactive before the young person gets into deeper problems
• Street people are moving further out into the community e.g. 250th
• Transportation
• Causes: Mental health, young people who leave home and decline services - lack trust in
adults, drug abuse, physicallemotional abuse, sense of adventure - get themselves in
trouble); they lack experience
• Definition of youth? 0-18, 0-24, 0-30?
• Complex level Of factors included lack ofjob skills, life skills, unrealistic view of fttture,
etc. - poor role models, breakdown of families, ie both parents working. The media has
had some impact
• It's too easy today for either party to bail from the other (arent <-> child)
• We need to encourage the building of communication in families - throughout the
community
• We need to get the government to pay greater attention to the mental health issue.
• The de-evaluation of mental health seryices of the past has occurred too quickly or at
least without planning effectively for the ramifications
• Agencies need to work cooperatively and effectively together
• We need a good outreach worker in this community - need a team
• At present there are services in place that are not always known amongst other agencies
on the community as a whole
• We have to get into the schools more
• Out-reach worker - Alouette Home-Society will apply for fundin.g Alouet-te Addict-ion
Services will manage these new services. Funding - Feds. There is a question as to how
this cQuld be carried on.
• Can we ask the municipal government to appoint a committee to look at this situation
more carefully. Response: there is a committee. SPAC
• We need to involve families more on the committees - we need to empower families
more vs. over professionalized responses.
• We need early intervention
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #7
Two Priorities:
• Early intervention
• Effective and cooperative partnerships that include families.
Handwritten Notes #2: Shelters & Soup Kitchens
Centralize facilities to include:
- detox centres
- support recovery
- affordable housing
- day programs
- soup kitchens
Change our attitude towards the homeless and as a community use whatever recourse we
have in helping them in any way we can.
Handwritten Notes #3: Shelters, Soup Kitchens & Treatment
Solutions:
• People to care
• Affordable housing w/access to community resources
• Short term rather than long term
• Centralized facility
• Conmiunity meeting with Homeless - positions available at tech school.
• Talent of people (homeless)
• Day programs - activity centre for people
• Detox beds
• Support recovery houses
• Transition housing
• Re-training
• Affordable housing
Handwritten Notes #4: Shelters, Soup Kitchens & Treatment
Parents dtôcaremôte about thichiidfffi1adOfthePSelV ......... - - --
• Community volunteers to assist at places like the caring place who have skills to link to
housing, employers, etc.
• Perhaps outreach worker
• Shortage of affordable housing
• Adult addictions Outreach just youth
• Outreach at Alouette Home Start and Federal Funding
• Regionally, Federally and Provincially - $$
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #8
We had a transition house with 24 hour support workers to assist with mental illness, women
escaping abuse, drug issues, etc. Lost federal funding and therefore lost the project - the
land was picked and architectural plans were drawn up.
I think with other people that are out ofjob. We need to help them as they helped us.
Handwritten Notes #5: Youth & Homelessness
• Dave - Greg Moore Youth Centre - youth worker (3 Y2 years) - 6 youths in desperate
situation - no place to stay.- Found short term shelter help
• Is not able to ID homelessness
• Familiar with 50 youth inlout family situation - focus on getting youth safe for night - -
for effort - coming back to thank him for what he has done. After hours - only service
available - 3 hours.
• John (COP) - doesn't know any homeless personally but seen youth on street on patrol -
realizes these need help getting them off street into safe environment - no
• Joan (COP) - neighborly - interchurch organization - outreach ministry - assist people in
need - able to help those that need it.
• Ernie (COP) - youth, mother on meth, house friend, youth under MSSH - kept running away
- troubled environment
• Judy (MR Council) - unable to confirm status of youth - couch surfing - place to place
• Dennis (Group Home) - outside influences bringing to community - may be negative
influence - affect on home life.
• No consequences for breaking law - school obligations
• Willingness by government to over please - provide shelter/food/comfort
Handwritten Notes #6: Youth & Homelessness
Cause of Problem:
• Youth influence/educated by older street people - to enable behavior to continue
• Do not abide by home rules perceived freedom to not being responsible for self/others
• Unveiling to complete school/education responsibilities
• Cheap/rapid/ease access to drug abuse - alcohol
• Parents (both) have to work to exist to survive (latch key kids)
e• Parental pr-iorit-i.es
• Exposure television baby sitter - all classes of life - Simpsons
• Rap music
• No consequences for breaking the law - "you can't do anything to me"
Handwritten Notes #7: Youth & Homelessness
Strategies
• Identify youthlwhy are they potential homelessness - develop assessment teams to look into
• why youth is at risk/street/give provide assistance to family unit
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #9
• To have MSSH/probation Educator/health Coordinate their efforts to address and support
identified youth at risk
• Municipalities to lobby provincial government to coordinate their energies/money to start
this problem solving
• Make all people accountable to attain self worth and responsibility
• Intervention/education - Lola Chapman foundation
• First time runaway - team intervention should be prompt/immediate
• May prevent repetition and perceived homelessness
• Early intervention team concept - School/social worker/PO police - identify youth at risk
• Work together
• Conduct thorough invest assessment
• Identify core issues of problem
• Suggest solution/remedy strategies
• Ensure follow up is done in 'seasoned' youth
• Monitor status of identified youths
• Approach individually seek their input/cooperation for solution their unique situation
• Approach the provincial government to set up a JFO (unit) utilizing all provincial agencies to
coordinate efforts/energies to deal with early intervention of the individual, identified to be at
risk that concerns the community
• Youth population - 16-17%/rest of province 6-7% - highest in the Province
• Highest youth unemployment in the Province.
Handwritten Notes #8: Youth & Homelessness
What to Do?
• Educate kids at an earlier age. Show more realistic images of the results of drug abuse and
addiction.
Enforce greater consequences at an earlier age. Make parents and educators more
accountable to the actions of the youth at home and school
• Lobby all three levels of government to stop spending the outrageous amounts of money
overseas and spend it back into our communities.
• Lobby Federal Government to change judicial system in order to create a system of elected
judges.
• Mandatory health or life sciences from elementary age through to high school graduation.
Each schooldistrictmust employ enough-educators -to .perform.these..ciasses. atall age levels.
Handwritten Notes #9:
Impacts
• Affordable housing - landlords have trouble keeping friends out - don't want to rent
• Where to put housing?
• Public Washrooms?
• Accurate information?
• Crime?
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #10
• Don't' Feel Safe?
• Loitering/trespassing?
• Unacceptable behavior
• Police presence
• Neighbor awareness - getting to know your neighbours; keeping an eye out
• Community policing participation
• Accurate information - regional networking - lobbying in force
Handwritten Notes #10:
• Pain - clouded by daily life
• Grasping for self respect
• Cause - no one to blame
Problem
• Caretakers - stretched too much
• Look at root causes
• Don't want to obey rules
• Government funding
• What can be done? - A change in attitude
• Federal - stop legislating poverty
Handwritten Notes #11:
Solutions:
• Funding - at all levels
• Coordinated, integration of services of facilities, e.g. training, so they can become self-
sufficient
• If some coordination exists its needs to be enhanced
Handwritten Notes #12:
• Not that many in West M.R. - higher number in core area
• More now than used to be
• Closed welfare office west side
• Diving in dumpsters
• 228 stuff out of hoods of left on sidewalk
• walking - sitting on benches
• forest area
• take stuff available valuable -$$ leave by garbage can they won't go in dumpster
• get ____ they leave stuff alone
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #11
Causes:
• Provincial government
• Mental illness/challenged no facility. Started several years ago closing Riverview
• People don't know what to do - choices - choose not to get help
• People congregate where services are, i.e. Maple Ridge
• Cut out services, left on street, no funding created more bureaucracy
• Lack housing and support
• Some are addicts
• Doing ajob most of us don't want
• Wandering on streets making difference for seniors
• Lack of supp. Services, i.e. family unable/not trained to help
• Because cut backs cut them loose
• Bylaws more problem around District
• What can be done in Maple Ridge
• Business leave valuables to homeless
• ____________ bottles, pop and beer cans beside dumpster, clean up week
• Financial supp. From government to disperse
• Provincial government mentally ill people into facilities. Then can help them
• Council look for solutions
• Staff can make if Council doesn't have to listen to them
• Expand flexibility work together
• Fund Outreach Workers inf. Resources front line workers give enough time and effort.
Complexity of problems not quick fix
• Different resources for different of homeless. Customized system to deal with different
levels of need, i.e. mental health, addict drug treatment, transition
• GVRD no mandate
• Case worker transitions and facilities
• Designate bldgs
• House and work opp. So they get training become employable.
• Funding
• Coord. Integration of services and facilities, training, so they can become self-sufficient
Town Hall Meeting Notes - November 1, 2004 #12
Round Table Meeting #3 November 1, 2004
Homelessness Business Impacts
Facilitator:
John L
Participants:
Racine Barbour (Haney Place Mall)
Ken Stewart (MLA)
Denis & Audrey (Retired couple)
Brock McDonald (DMR)
Kris Murdoch (Witch of Endor Pub)
Ernie Daykin (Council)
Experience:
• Significant increase in number of homeless last 12-18 months
• Hanging out in doorways and alcoves
• Use the doorways and alcoves as their bathroom and their place to do
drugs
• They make a disgusting mess that has to be cleaned up
• Staff feel very unsafe - have to be escorted into work
• Customers turn and walk away when they see these folks
• Customers and staff are intimidated and feel threatened
• Worked with RCMP, Bylaws and private security to move them on - had
some "success" moving them out of downtown - now appearing out at
232nd
• Moving them on worked in the late spring - will be interesting to see if they
return with the bad weather
• Seem to be two types - the docile/harmless and the violent/aggressive
• There are about 40 or 50 in town
• Drugs seem to be at the root of the problem
e Steal.anythingthat.canbestoien_...
Contributing Factors:
• Drug addiction
•. Mental Illness
• Lack of treatment and support for drug addiction and mental illness
• Unwillingness of judiciary to apply the penalties that are available to them
• Lack of consequences for inappropriate behavior
• Breakdown of the family unit
Strategies:
• Code of Conduct (Prince George Model)
• Find ways to motivate the homeless to get the help that is available
• More outreach workers
• Education on the impact of drugs - early & often
• Businesses banning homeless from their property
• Making "No Go" orders easier to obtain
• More $$$ for enforcement
• More su pportive/structu red/assisted housing
• Reduce the minimum square footage size to encourage the creation of
more affordable housing
• Attract more people to the downtown - homeless don't like to be around
people
• Research best practices, what have other cities done that has been
effective in addressing this issue.
Town Meeting: Homelessness
November 1, 04
View from my table only.
Our topic was to be soup kitchens and shelter. As it turned out there were much
more pressing issues to discuss.
We were fortunate to have homeless people at our table as well as an auxiliary
police officer, mental health worker, Salvation Army workers, and citizens with
insightful input.
Much of what was shared was personal, therefore the notes I took I limited to
general statements.
We were made aware of the stigma attached to the "Homeless" label. The word
itself invites harassment, discrimination, prejudice, abuse, and usury.
This point was made repeatedly.
People end up on the street for reasons beyond drugs and alcohol.
• Paternal rejection, eviction
• Victimized by unscrupulous landlords
• Inability to secure housing in 30 days of an eviction
• Facilities being closed due to budget cuts
• Shortage of affordable housing
We now have on the street: tradesmen, mentally challenged youth and adults,
disabled youth and adults, men and women WITH children.
The 7-day policy adds to the problem. Often this is not long enough to secure
housing, a job, a security deposit. Your out again for 7 days and the cycle begins
again.
After being through the system a few times, it is very discouraging and the
person may refuse to try just one more time.
Seven days to compile a resume, seven days to try to have returned to you the
damage deposit from your last place where you were unlawfully evicted, so you
can put a deposit on a new place.
Seven days to read all the newspapers, go to all the E.l. offices in the area, to
use the job bank computer at the welfare office.
Seven days to obtain clean, presentable clothing suitable for the type of jobs for
which you are applying.
Seven days to contact past employers and property owners to obtain references
for jobs and housing.
Seven days to scrounge transportation to get to the jobs and housing for which
you are applying.
We were told by the workers at our table that even they could not secure housing
or jobs for their existing clients in the allotted time.
That is with the advantage of having access to computer job banks, telephones,
lists of low in-come housing, all lower mainland newspapers, and day labour
employers.
Many street people do not have the skills to use these tool.
With no fixed address, you have no phone, no newspapers, no clean clothes,
no shower, and no way to obtain any funding to get these basic needs.
Other points discussed:
No transition houses
No funding
Welfare cuts allowing only up to $325 for shelter (including hydro, phone, electric,
heating) out of a maximum $500, which you cannot receive with no fixed
address.
No access to legal aide for those dealing with illegal evictions or other problems
No programs for mental health patients who need a more structured
environment.
Parents' inability to deal with, or care for their children
We need
Positive welfare reform
Funding for transitional housing
Funding for education
Funding for detox centers
Funding for outreach programs
.F.unding=for low in-come. housing
Low in-come housing
Some tenants have been victimized by property owners preying on their vulnerability, i.e.
offering cheaper rents if they help in a grow-op. or some tenants have had their private
lives turn up on websites without their knowledge or consent.
One worker suggested people applying for housing talk with welfare about subsidizing
co-op shares. They may pay the bulk of the shares. Clients need to check with their
workers or hunt down a copy of Bill 26 or 27 to see what the regulations will allow.
w.
a. L
j -.- - - -.
!
Pc - T 4 -A
4
I C
.--.-.--..I
dik
--4-o"N ~-)Pv
1JLTiIIii 'I
Li
1%
VIA — - I
/
1:
I:i
I •- --•-- --
__•i__._
( 1--
Al
• 4.
-
11
Jl'
Ii
I
.1
10/
-- -
Squatter Policy
In the past several years, the issue of homelessness has come to the forefront in many
communities. Citizens often look to the police and bylaws for solutions. Here are some
guidelines that these agencies are expected to follow:
Ridge Meadows R.C.M.P.
Public safety and officer safety are paramount.
If a private property owner reports a squatter on his/her property, police will
attend (when resources are available) and stand by while the owner advises the
squatter to leave. Section 41 of the Criminal Code provides police with the
authority to remove someone if active resistance is encountered.
Police will assist the Maple Ridge Bylaw Department when requested to do so for
safety reasons.
Maple Ridge By-laws Department
• For private property - a bylaws officer will attend with the owner who lives on site,
if requested, while the owner asks the squatter to leave.
• For private property - bare land - a bylaws officer will call the registered owner or
send them a letter (if unable to locate) to advise that street people are occupying
the land. They will then be asked to attend the site and meet to issue the order to
leave.
• For District land - a bylaws officer and a policeofficer will attend and give the
squatter a short period of time to pack their items and move on. If the warning is
not heeded, a contractor will be called to remove/dispose any items left on site.
Homelessness
A Maple Ridge Round Table
Discussion
November 1, 2004
Agenda
• Our Goal and our Objectives for tonight
• Background/Context
• Small Groups Discussions
- Impacts on Business
- Impacts on Neighbourhoods
- Shelters, Soup Kitchens and Treatment
- Transition and Affordable Housing
- Youth Homeless Issues
Agenda
v-•Srna.l!-Group. Discussions.--- - -
- Introductions and select record e r/repo rter
- Personal Experiences
- Identifying causes of the problem
- Brainstorming strategies/tools
- Prioritizing
- Reporting out
11
1
Objectives
• Homelessness is complex and requires the entire
community to address (a strength of Maple Ridge)
• Goal is to respond effectively to the challenge being
faced by our community and residents who are
dealing with homelessness ... in short... to reduce
homelessness and its impacts
• Objectives tonight are:
- To learn from each other and take advantage of our
collective wisdom
- To share experiences and explore strategies for the
District, senior governments, other agencies and the
community in general to consider for implementation
Background/Context
• Third Round Table Discussion to respond to resident
concerns about safety/security as Maple Ridge
becomes more urban
First two on property crime and drug issues
• Results from these focused on increased
enforcement (greater access to and visibility of
RCMP), community education, target hardening,
neighbourhood development (neighbours looking
out for neighbours), enhanced treatment capability.
Homelessness
• Complex issue - much more visible in Maple
Ridge and elsewhere in GVRD and BC in
General in the last four years
• Generally accepted root causes of
homelessness are:
- Poverty
- A shortage of affordable housing
- A shortage of mental health and addiction
treatment
U
2
Homelessness
• Some homeless do not live by the rules of
commonly acceptable behaviour which
causes strain on neighbourhoods and
business .... some will not avail themselves of
the services offered by shelters and other
agencies.
• On the flip side there are wonderful success
stories from those who want and receive
help from places like the Salvation Army,
Hannah House and the Maple Ridge
Treatment Centre.
Homelessness
• Chuck Clover and Diane Merenick have done
exceptional work getting to know the
homeless and dealing with issues, knocking
down condemned buildings, etc.
• Municipal Resources are pressed in terms of
enforcement, moving homeless squatters
along, handling clean up, etc.
Homelessness
• The problem is evident througboutGVRD...
The Municipality sits on GVRD task force to
coordinate efforts regionally.
• Alouette Homestart Society was formed and
has obtained support for outreach workers
and youth safe house - funding not available
for transition housing project - also
neighbourhood concerns expressed.
3
Homelessness
• What is your experience with homelessness?
• What do you believe the cause of the problem is?
• What more can be done in Maple Ridge by
residents, agencies and the District? What more
can be done Regionally? Provincially?
Federally?
• What strategies from your table should Council
address? What are your top two priorities?
S
Thank. you!
ri
Round Table Forums on Security
Ideas/Strategies
Enforcement - Deterance
Anti fighting bylaw
Enhanced Pawn Shop Regulations
Anti Loitering Bylaw
Curfew
Keep squatters "moving on"
Lobby Judiciary to apply stronger consequences
Drug free zones - trouble areas double fines
Landlord Registration/Licensing
Easier access to warrants
Community Code of Conduct
Consequence for every act of graffiti/vandalism
Focus on Hot Spots
Public Education
CPTED Education
More Life Skill programs in School
Parenting Programs
Expanding the DARE program
Seminar Series on home safety, conflict resolution, credit card crime, etc.
Focus heavily on Block Watch
Prevention
More affordable housing
Allow smaller (minimum size) housing
Transition Housing
More readily available rehab beds
Stronger Families
More activity in the downtown core
Youth Involvement
Neighbourhood Development
Restrictions on the sale of Grow Op Equipment and materials used for Crystal Meth
Enhanced support for Mental Health Clients
Public Washrooms
Lighting levels increased in critical areas
Ensure adequate security patrols (some businesses may have to band together to hire security)
Video Cameras Downtown
Other
More coordinated approach with other GVRD Communities