By Kate Bouey

Street issue complaints rising

Jun 24, 2019 | 11:30 AM

Shocking figures released to Vernon city council today show the extent of time spent by police and bylaw officers on petty crimes and other issues connected to homelessness, the street-entrenched and drugs.

The numbers show that already this year, Vernon’s bylaw department has dealt with more than 1,000 calls connected to street issues.

The RCMP responded to more than 1,800 calls between January to June 1 that dealt with suspicious persons, street drugs and theft from motor vehicles.

The numbers show calls are going up.

In 2018, approximately 21 per cent of the RCMP detachment’s 16,795 files had to do with drugs and street issues.

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The city’s bylaw department dealt with more than 2,200 such files last year, approximately one-third third of their calls.

Bylaw was supported by a seasonal enforcement patrol program in the downtown which cost over $84,000 last year.

There is some success reported in removal of drug needles in downtown Vernon.

The number of improperly discarded needles picked up by Vernon’s Folks on Spokes program topped the 100 mark in just over five weeks, between May 1 to June 10, according to new figures.

The program began this spring, with teams going out five days a week to pick up sharps and clean up garbage.

Thirty-three needles were picked up in the first month.

During the same five-week time frame, the Sharps hotline received eight phone calls.

“The daily cleaning teams have produced excellent feedback from the community,” a report to Vernon city council said. “Two peers have gained employment, one as a result of participation in the program.”

Garbage and cigarette butts continue to be problematic.

The teams pick up a large bag of garbage daily during their Monday to Friday routes.

by Kate Bouey

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