A presentation last week by Coquitlam RCMP’s superintendent to talk about its second quarterly crime report for Port Coquitlam saw councillors focusing instead on the plight around the Tri-Cities’ only homeless shelter.
On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Officer-in-Charge Darren Carr spoke to the city’s committee of council about trends in person, property, mental health and traffic enforcement files in PoCo in comparison to the three-year average.
According to his report, person and property crimes are down by 11 per cent and six per cent, respectively, while mental health calls are up two per cent. Traffic violations for distracted driving, seatbelt infractions and impaired drug/alcohol driving also dropped, but speed and intersection violations rose.
Still, councillors used Carr’s appearance before committee to voice their ongoing concerns with 3030 Gordon Ave., a homeless shelter in Coquitlam — on the border with PoCo — as well as homeless issues, in general, in PoCo’s downtown.
Coun. Dean Washington started the line of questioning by expressing his frustration with the shelter and the encampment now surrounding it. Many of the unhoused, he said, are having a negative presence in the city’s core.
“I don’t use the word 'homeless.' I would use the term ‘People that don’t want to work,’” Washington began with Carr, adding, “I’ve been shocked at how many new people that don’t want to work are in the downtown.”
Washington criticized the detachment for not having enough foot patrols in the downtown, especially in the summer when residents and visitors are out.
He said city managers have received “many photos of people shooting up” drugs during the daytime on Shaughnessy Street, the city’s main drag.
“How do we get more attention?” he asked. “I’m sick of it, to be honest with you. We are spending so much time, resources and effort to make downtown PoCo a great place to come, but people are afraid to come here.”
Carr then asked Washington to repeat his definition of homeless people, which he did: “Don’t want to work”; however, Washington added, “I won’t say what I said in a closed meeting because that would get me unelected.”
Coun. Darrell Penner was also blunt with his comments before the police chief about 3030 Gordon, describing it as “a government-funded crackhouse.”
“They can come there. They can do whatever they want,” he said. “They use all the drugs they want and it’s being funded by the government.”
Penner added, “If 3030 Gordon didn’t exist, the problems wouldn’t exist.”
Supt. Carr said he and officers recognize homelessness is a sensitive issue and urged the public to call Mounties if they see a criminal action in progress.
He told councillors that police calls for service around homelessness are down, but Washington suggested residents and business owners are now apathetic.
Carr said police are currently working with Coquitlam city officials about the people in the 30 structures in the encampment around 3030 Gordon.
“We have to come up with a solution,” Carr said, reiterating his ask for public calls. “There is enforcement but we can’t arrest our way out of this situation.”
Coun. Paige Petriw also spoke about a business owner who recently closed up shop because of unhoused people loitering outside of her downtown store.
Her teenage staff weren’t comfortable with going to work in the morning to open up, she said.
Petriw said the owner tried to call police; however, they didn’t respond.
Carr responded that officers are sometimes tied up with other service calls. (The detachment serves Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Anmore, Belcarra and the Kwikwetlem First Nation.)
“We don’t have endless resources,” he noted. “We will come if we can.”
Port Coquitlam council’s comments come as Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon told the Tri-City News yesterday, Sept. 16, that he met with Tri-City municipal officials a few weeks back about the health and safety concerns at 3030 Gordon Ave. and he stressed the need for the three cities to work together to build affordable housing for the region — including supportive housing.
Meanwhile, Carr said, Coquitlam RCMP is expected to launch its renewed auxiliary program next spring with about 20 constables, noting the unit hopes to recruit up to 50 members following their security checks and training.
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