Prince George City Council voted in favour of the first three readings of a new Safe Streets Bylaw.
This bylaw will try to combat issues like aggressive panhandling, temporary shelters, graffiti and open drug use.
The first three readings of a second bylaw, set to create a fining system, was also passed.
The final recommendation, an amendment to the Parks and Open Space Bylaw, was also on the table, however, it did not pass.
“It will be a largely an unmanageable problem. It will be unsolvable, in my opinion,” said Adam Davey, Director of Community Services and Public Safety, when asked by Councillor Brian Skakun if RCMP could manage the Parks and Open Space Bylaw with current staffing levels.
Bylaw Services say calls for service have increased drastically over the past four years.
In 2017, Bylaw got 149 calls for issues like tents, open drug use, and human waste.
2020 saw those calls rise to 1,796.
“There is a role for the province and federal government to be involved in this, this is not our role. But the reason it’s our role is that our citizens are demanding it to be our role because the other parts of government aren’t stepping up to the plate to do their responsibility,” said Councillor Frank Everitt.
A campout and rally outside City Hall happened while the meeting was underway.
The movement is being put together by TOGETHER WE STAND grassroots organization, and hopes to persuade City Council to find a better way to deal with homelessness in PG, and not just create more bylaws.
“STOP THE CHAOS! Proposed amendments to bylaws No. 7370, 2002 and No. 9211, 2021 increase chaos to homeless and precariously housed persons and the social service agencies who support them. These amendments are harmful to people, unhelpful for Indigenous organizations, non-profits and social service agencies, damaging to businesses and expensive. We recommend that the mayor and council immediately reject these bylaw amendments as they will further escalate chaos in our city.” This was just part of what the TOGETHER WE STAND release demanded.
The rest of the release asked for more reasonable housing for homeless people, while also increasing social services.
The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs has also come out criticizing The City of Prince George.
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