Sociology Professor says City has “head in the sand” with homeless issue

The homeless encampments in Prince George have been a hot topic in the city, and people outside of the community have been keeping tabs on the situation as well.

Dr Joe Hermer, an Associate Professor and Chair of the Sociology Department at the University of Toronto in Scarborough has been watching the City’s actions develop, and disagrees with some of the moves made.

Hermer was introduced by Chief Terry Teegee at the City Council meeting where the Safe Streets Bylaw was passed, and condemned the bylaw, saying that it was very dangerous to push the homeless population into further isolation.

“The bylaw that’s now enacted is one of the most punitive I’ve seen. I think it’s a cruel bylaw, given the circumstances that we’re still in a pandemic for many vulnerable people, and we have an overdose crisis going on,” said Hermer.

He adds that one of the things driving the overdose crisis is people using drugs alone, and not having anyone to rely on.

“Homeless people, particularly the ones who have been on the streets for a long time, have very, very complex needs. They’re very suspicious of authority. The last thing they need is to be treated as criminals and moved on.”

Hermer suggests that peer outreach workers are a good way to connect with the homeless population, and can allow trust to be built.

He adds that having people who have gone through the experience of homelessness work with those who are still homeless is a way that many other communities have taken on such a complex issue.

Mayor Lyn Hall claimed that early results of the bylaw have been positive and that no tickets have been handed out, but that concerns Hermer.

“It gives them a free pass to enforce it informally, to coerce people off the street citing the bylaw, and they’re able to do that without any due process because there are no tickets being handed out,” said Hermer.

The City of Prince George recently had the Supreme Court rule on an injunction request to remove two homeless encampments, with the result leading to one being allowed to remain.

This has caused some people in the surrounding neighbourhood to the existing encampment to not feel safe in their own homes, and Hermer suggests that residents who take issue with the encampment look to how City Council has handled the issue.

“Why is this City fixated on a policing and crime control approach? And they seem to have a “head in the sand” attitude in the sense that they’re not considering other possible options that are going to provide real solutions.”