Perspective 1 -
Panhandling is certainly a regular call (?) for police and bylaw officers, said Nelson Police Department deputy chief constable Paul Burkart. City officers have responded to a minimum (?) of 57 calls in the past year regarding the behaviour (?) of panhandlers.
"Most (of those calls) will be (?) during the summer and you can imagine that the vast majority (?) of people will not be calling the police even if they feel harassed by a panhandler's behaviour (?)," he said.
Perspective 2 -
Although panhandling is an increasing occurrence in the city, it is not an increasing problem, said Kootenay Christian Fellowship pastor Jim Reimer, who operates Our Daily Bread - a daily hot lunch program.
The many forms of panhandling: Hot issue from the street gets a police and social service perspective
Timothy Schafer, thenelsondaily.com
13 Oct, 2015
The one bump in this write-up is that Schafer refers to
The proposed regulatory bylaw regarding aggressive panhandling ...
In the official Request for Decision - this is a Panhandling Bylaw and not an Aggressive Panhandling Bylaw. Adding aggressive is fear-mongering seeping in through widening cracks!
That said: the article - under Other News Stories (Page 7) - is a must-read for all of Nelson!
With this it becomes clear that Council's realization of first needing to look for/listen to community input - instead of coming to a decision based solely on a poorly-framed/reasoned/substantiated document - is the appropriate and only way to go.
Perspective 1A -
Between Oct. 2014 and Feb. 2015: stretching points, omitting them, providing vague numbers - if any - and voicing sweeping assumptions then - all fear-mongering, really! - were cop-shop tactics similar to Burkart's panhandling-reasoning.
In those days it was hordes of mentally ill within Nelson's walls - regularly - having to be driven to the hospital and even greater hordes at the gates and about to gasp! crash through them - unless!
Unless Council gave in to the cops' demands for a budget-increase of $311.000. And when it became clear that Council wouldn't - the hordes dematerialized! Just-like-that!
Oddly-or-not - Burkart didn't before this interview voice any panhandling-concerns in/to the general public, just as he didn't in the Request for Decision on this particular bylaw. In fact - his name is never mentioned in it: neither with cops nor meter-maids - both groups supposedly officially requesting this bylaw - although both minded by him!
Unfriend Burkart!
Perspective 2A -
Pastor Reimer's views are refreshingly lucid, objective and comprehensively informed: intelligent! Addressing most concerns Nelsonites may have on/around the topic.
Vote Reimer!
The Nelson Committee on Homelessness representatives were contacted about thoughts on the panhandling bylaw but elected not to comment until after its next board meeting later this month.
Same Write-Up
What with its most recent - 2011 - data available rather out-of-date to begin with: it is astonishing that they can't pull themselves together enough to at least make a statement in reference to the panhandling bylaw - this to be locked-in-or-not later this month as well. Oh, boards!
There are response-issues with this - ostensibly - key-committee!
copshq.generaljoe.com
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