Priority 02 of 04
Public safety should be a top priority of elected officials. Families should be able to use our parks and Recreation Complex without worrying about what their children might come across.
My position
I have walked through the encampments in the forest around our Recreation Complex. I have seen discarded needles where children used to play. Parents are saying they will not let their children use those areas anymore. That should concern all of us.
My concern with a second supportive-housing site on Complex Way is the effect of bookending the Joyce Avenue corridor with these facilities. This is the area that serves our hospital, Recreation Complex, seniors in extended care and nearby homes. We have to look at the effect on that whole area.
I have spoken against adding another facility without the safeguards in place. I want security, clear responsibilities in the operator's contract and an honest look at what is happening at the existing Joyce Avenue facility. People living in these facilities and people living around them both need a better result.
I would bring RCMP leadership, City staff, health partners and service providers together at a situation table. They need to be talking about the same individuals and the same problem areas, with everyone clear about who is doing what. None of these issues gets solved without direct communication.
I want us to look at bylaw staffing, regular patrols and cleaning up the forest and park areas around the complex. Bylaw can deal with problems that do not need a police response and help take pressure off the RCMP. I have been asking about Campbell River's approach. If something is working elsewhere, let's learn from it.
I have spoken to BC Housing about the need for competition among service operators. We need to be able to compare apples to apples: security, staffing, the contract and the results. Before supporting another facility, I want to know who will run it, what they must deliver and how they will be held to it.
It takes communication and people working together. Public safety has to be the first priority, and we need to see a result on the ground.Explore the other priorities