A shooting in Vernon’s Polson Park last week has sparked a public debate about safety. More than 800 people have signed an online petition asking city hall to make Polson Park safe again.
The petition focuses on a homeless camp in the park and asks: “Why is it that we are allowing 30 or so tents to shelter transients along the boardwalk? It seems that every day, if somebody isn’t calling 911 because of a shooting or an overdose, there’s people getting high in the toilet stalls.”
“People are feeling less and less safe about bringing their children there. We’re just waiting for the inevitable at this point; when a toddler gets pricked with a discarded needle,” said the petition.
It suggests moving the campers or fencing off that area of the park as two possible solutions.
However, those who advocate for the homeless say the city’s low vacancy rate is leaving some with no choice but to sleep outside.
“You can’t force a person to move from one park to another. The courts have decided that people can camp outside when shelter space isn’t available and so the city is honouring that,” said Kelly Fehr, co-executive director for the local John Howard Society.
“It is unfortunate that our city council receives a very bad rap for upholding the law.”
Fehr said the local shelters don’t have beds available for everyone who is camping outside.
“There are a couple odd spaces every night but for the 40 plus people that we know are sleeping outside, there certainly isn’t that capacity there. So what we need is housing and housing options. Shelters are great but they are a band-aid. It is affordable housing that is really required in Vernon,” said Fehr.
After visiting the camp himself, the mayor said the real issue is not the homeless but the illegal drug trade.
“We don’t want to paint the homeless as the problem, they are not the problem,” said Mayor Akbal Mund.
The mayor said police and bylaw regularly patrol the park and the city is pursuing a bylaw that would limit camping from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Mund also cautions people not to jump to conclusions about June’s shooting being connected to the homeless camp.
The victim of that shooting has since been release from hospital.
Watch Below: Those visiting Polson Park on Thursday had mixed opinions on how safe the area really is.
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