FILE PHOTO: Polson Park August 2017

(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)

VERNON - More than a quarter of all bylaw complaints in Vernon last year fell under the umbrella of homeless or transient concerns.

Numbers revealed in the City of Vernon’s year-end bylaw report for 2017 show a staggering 1289 complaints came in regarding the community’s homeless or transient population, up from 797 in 2016. According to the report, the “homeless or transient” category includes all complaints involving drugs, alcohol, sharps, encampments, panhandling, hazardous activity, security related concerns, mental health and vandalism to public facilities.

Together, those calls represent 30 per cent of the 4,175 complaints received overall by Vernon bylaw last year. The City’s manager of protective services Geoff Gaucher says social issues were top of mind for many people in 2017.

“Last year when folks moved to Linear Park, that was very public, right on a major road in downtown Vernon, and that generated a ton of complaints,” Gaucher says of the high profile homeless camp that formed after new camping rules went into effect in Polson Park. “We’d get calls from people that don’t live here driving through and letting us know they don’t like the look of that homeless camp below the hospital.”

But, camping in a park isn’t always illegal; in fact, many times people are completely within their rights to shelter in a public space, Gaucher says.

“Some people don’t understand that if we have insufficient shelter space for these folks, we can’t prevent them from sheltering in a public place,” Gaucher says.

READ MORE: A closer look at Vernon's approach to homeless camps

When bylaw receives a complaint and officers determine there is no actual offence being committed, Gaucher says they try to take the opportunity to raise public education about what’s allowed and what isn’t.

Other times, complaints are valid and prompt warnings or violation tickets, Gaucher says.

He’s hopeful that a number of housing projects coming online this year will bring more people in off the streets and reduce the number of homeless camps.

Despite a concerted effort in 2016 to address panhandling concerns specifically, that activity continues to account for a large portion of calls.

Last year, Vernon bylaw received 261 complaints for panhandling, up from 231 in 2016, and 126 in 2015. Those complaints could involve anything from panhandling too close to a bank to aggressively asking for money, Gaucher says. Speaking anecdotally about a recent walk he did downtown, Gaucher says there’s a wide range of panhandlers, some following the rules, and some not.

“We dealt with two panhandlers, one sitting on the sidewalk,” he says, noting that’s considered an obstruction and not allowed. “Another one was out in front of the Shoppers (Drug Mart) and he was being aggressive. We also saw a busker who had a permit and was playing his guitar and singing his heart out. Another two panhandlers we passed were complying with the bylaw. That was all in a one hour walk.”

Taking parking, unsightly premises, noise, and all other complaints into account, Vernon bylaw saw 544 more complaints overall in 2017 compared to 2016, or a 13 per cent increase. That’s made for a high caseload for staff and a drain on resources, however Gaucher still encourages people to report their concerns.

“We’re here to serve the public, it doesn’t help us if people talk about it at coffee or post on social media but don’t phone us,” he says.

He expects 2018 will be another busy year for bylaw officers, likely surpassing the number of complaints in 2017.

Read past stories about homelessness in Vernon here.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston or call 250-309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2018