Allowing police to forcibly take homeless people to shelters during extreme weather could have unforeseen consequences, says Kelowna-Lake Country Liberal MLA Norm Letnick. Earlier this week, Letnick voted against the Liberal government‘s Assistance to Shelter Act, saying his opposition to his own party‘s legislation was a “matter of conscience.”
In an interview posted on the Public Eye Online website, Letnick said it‘s better for homeless people to decide for themselves whether or not they will go into a shelter. “I would like to find a more peaceful way of addressing the issue, one that respects the dignity of everyone involved, the police officers as well as the homeless people,” Letnick said.In Kelowna, Letnick said, police and representatives of various social service agencies determine where spare beds are available, and tell homeless people of their options for shelter during periods of extreme cold. “(They) inform the people on the street that there are some spaces available, so they can make their own judgment call to go to those spaces,” Letnick said. Over the objections of the opposition NDP and Letnick, the legislation has passed three readings in the legislature, and is expected to become law soon. The legislation gives police the power to use “reasonable force” to get people to the door of a shelter, though, once there, the homeless people will still have the right to decide whether they want to go inside. “The bill accomplishes nothing that needs to be addressed here,” NDP housing critic Shane Simpson has said. “It doesn‘t deal with housing issues. “Nobody wants people out on the street in extreme weather. But I don‘t think you do that in a heavy-handed manner.”
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