Shelter shows good behaviour

By Richard Rolke - Vernon Morning Star Published: October 30,

Concerns that Vernon’s new homeless shelter would become a haven for crime have proven unfounded. Adjacent businesses say there hasn’t been any security issues since the Gateway shelter opened its doors on 33rd Street in mid-September. “It’s cleaned up a lot of the riff-raff hanging around,” said Ed Kendall, owner of International Trendsetters. “It’s been a lot better than I expected. I’m glad they proved me wrong.” Bob Woodman, owner of Dodd’s Auction, has also noticed a difference. “The street seems like it’s cleaned up. There is a (surveillance) camera across from us and it’s helped,” he said. Besides the cameras, there is increased exterior lighting and security patrols. “I expected there would be a group of people walking constantly between the shelter and the Upper Room Mission and it hasn’t been there. We haven’t really noticed them,” said Woodman. Complaints to the RCMP about the shelter have been non-existent, and detachment spokesman Gord Molendyk says Gateway staff provide another set of eyes and ears for police. “They have deterred incidents of crime in that area,” he said.

The response from the police and the merchants comes as welcome news for the organizations that spent months planning for the shelter. “Some of our biggest detractors are being very positive about it. It’s a success story,” said Juliette Cunningham, president of the Vernon Women’s Centre, which runs the 12 beds for women. Credit is also being given to the neighbouring businesses. “Part of it is their willingness to be involved in the (shelter) committee,” said Barb Levesque, executive director of John Howard Society, which operates Gateway and the 13 men’s beds. “We have learned a lot from them. We considered their concerns as legitimate and we listened to them. It’s open communications. They talk to us.” Levesque says problems have also been avoided because of the leadership shown by the Safe Communities Unit, said Annette Sharkey from the Social Planning Council and the shelter’s clients.

“When something is of value to you, you protect it. The service matters to them. They follow the rules and they encourage others to follow the rules,” she said, adding that the community can’t blame all crime on the shelter. “We can’t control everyone on the street. Not everyone wandering around is our client.” Levesque is convinced the surveillance cameras and lights have helped keep shelter clients safe from johns and drug dealers. “We have clients struggling to stay off crack and on welfare cheque days, dealers are on every corner. They are vultures,” she said.