Dear Editor
I’ve been in contact with the city regarding homeless people sleeping in doorways in uptown New West for the last two years. Two meetings with our strata council, police and city staff, and we’re still no further ahead. I don’t believe this is a police issue, and we have shelters, but in Canada it’s legal to be mentally ill and/or have addiction issues and live on the streets.
The police can only offer them the choice of a shelter; they don’t have to go. People are only arrested for a psych exam if they are a danger to themselves or others. Apparently choosing to sleep outside instead of a room is not crazy. We have to change the way we deal with these issues because it’s not working, and that change comes from the people we have elected into power.
Everyone complains about the rain, but nobody does anything about it.
Dan Riordan, New Westminster
