Mission won’t tolerate shenanigans

By Scott NeufeldFriday, March 16, 2007 http://www.dailycourier.ca/article_1037.php

An incident earlier this week at the Upper Room Mission led to a two-day closure of the 27th Avenue facility.Police are investigating after one of the mission’s clients verbally assaulted the manager. According to police, staff had decided to ban the client from the property and the man let loose with racial slurs against manager Andrew Yeo.The incident led the mission staff to shut down for Wednesday and Thursday, before reopening again today.“From my understanding the manager is trying to send a message to the clientele that they won’t tolerate any shenanigans,” said Cpl. Henry Proce of the Vernon RCMP. “We applaud his efforts.”Proce said the police are investigating but it is unclear whether there is enough evidence to charge the individual with any criminal offences.

He said the mission needs to continue this kind of tough approach to ensure that staff are treated with respect.“This is a free service and staff don’t have to put up with that kind of abuse,” he said. “This is not tolerated; they’re here for the good of the community.”Police have been critical recently of the way the mission operates after observing frequent drug activity over the past few months. Undercover officers were able to buy drugs from inside the building last month.Earlier this week, Yeo met with the Vernon RCMP to discuss several recommendations to rid the mission of its drug problem. Proce said police are willing to do what they can to protect mission staff and enforce stricter policies.“The police are prepared to back him up whenever the need arose,” Proce said. Among the suggestions, police told Yeo to establish and strictly enforce a code of conduct. The police also encouraged him to allow the Safe Communities Unit to do an environmental scan of the building to eliminate any areas suitable for drug dealing or using.Proce said the mission also needs to add additional staff to better control the activity that occurs outside on their property. He said they should also talk to their neighbours and establish a better rapport with them.