A City of Vernon councillor said a potential answer to the problems faced by local businesses lies in Penticton.
In a social media post, Scott Anderson said that the City needs to “make it apparent to the trouble-makers that Vernon is no longer a free-for-all, and we can do that the same way Penticton did.
Related: Vernon councillor calls for ‘zero tolerance’ for ‘trouble makers’
“There is no magic bullet here. There’s no way you can stop it but you can certainly mitigate it and we can mitigate it a lot better than we’re doing.”
In response to Anderson’s comments, Couns. Akbal Mund and Kelly Fehr said changes to Canada’s justice system need to be implemented to help with issues municipalities face surrounding homelessness, addictions and mental health.
“This is a big challenge,” said Fehr. “Until we deal with the justice system, municipalities and the RCMP have major, major challenges. We have to bring other groups like correction services into the fold and be part of the solution.”
Related: Justice system needs ‘major, major overhaul’: Vernon councillors
What are your thoughts? Should the City be tough on homeless? Should they implement the 40 recommendations made by the Activate Safety Task Force? Does the answer lie within the justice system?
Share your thoughts in the poll below or by commenting on this post.
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