Vernon city staff are still looking at ways to help residents combat drug houses in their neighborhoods.
The city can no longer shut down the crack shacks as the courts ruled a previous bylaw exceeded the authority of local governments.
Councillor Patrick Nicol (pictured) says one possibility is charging the owner of the homes with a nuisance fee. He says "We've been as forward thinking on these issues as anyone in British Columbia, and our citizens are too, because they know the web of crime just spreads and destroys neighborhoods." Councillor Jack Gilroy is concerned drug houses are giving the city a bad name, but legal reasons are preventing action. He says he feels for 49 families in East Hill frustrated at crime and prostitution tied to a crack shack on 30th Avenue. "I was down at the UBCM conference and turned on the TV and what's the first thing that comes on the national news? The crack house in Vernon,and I don't like that. I'd like to see us get those things in place, and start helping the citizens on East Hill."Councillor Bob Spiers says imposing a fine under the nuisance bylaw could work, but the fines have to be meaningful. "Right now there at a $100 per call out for a police officer, and $70 for a bylaw officer, so make them two or three hundred dollars and that will hopefully put the pressure on for the one or two houses that we can't handle." The 49 families have demanded action from the city, saying they're fed-up with being being robbed, threatened and intimidated by the drug house.
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