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Addiction and mental illness in Victoria


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#141 Sparky

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Posted 25 January 2017 - 10:53 PM

So how do we get in front of the problem so that they don't become addicted, costing the taxpayers $55,000/yr and eventually dying on a sidewalk?

 

Some countries execute the dealers.

 

It works well, do you want to do this here?

 

Are you suggesting that because I acknowledge sebberry's question  by referring to a procedure that other countries use to solve similar challenges, that this might be something that I want?


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#142 todd

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Posted 25 January 2017 - 11:25 PM

Are you suggesting that because I acknowledge sebberry's question  by referring to a procedure that other countries use to solve similar challenges, that this might be something that I want?

I think so. That Okay? Are you insinuating that I'm insinuating but you shouldn't be insinuating?

 

I'm just curious the death penalty has come up in the past and I asked the question in the past but nobody will put their seal of approval on it.


Edited by todd, 25 January 2017 - 11:33 PM.

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#143 Sparky

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Posted 26 January 2017 - 06:57 AM

^ Yes it's okay for you to ask. No it's not something that I want to see happen here. I do want something to happen here because the direction that this city is going....is breaking my heart.

 

I used to believe that harm reduction and treatment and reaching out to people that need help was in fact a solution. It still might be for some.

 

Now however, (after tent city and the glory buss from Vancouver) I am starting to believe that there is a sinister sense of entitlement at play here that might require a dose of tough love in order to protect the hard working Victorians who are too Canadian to fight for the safety of their streets.

 

I have spent the last 6 days in a well-to-do area of the excited States of America. I have not seen one incident of begging (that's what it is) one drug deal, or one tent. (that didn't appear to be where it wasn't supposed to be).

 

I will try and find the reason for this while I am here, but I somehow doubt that left wing co-dependent socialist politics is at the core.


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#144 Nparker

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Posted 27 January 2017 - 02:23 PM

Victoria has agreed to the $240,000 for 2 additional police officers

The City of Victoria has agreed to pay $240,000 to fund two Victoria police officers assigned to an integrated mental-health team. The funding is part of a two-year pilot project...Councillors Marianne Alto, Ben Isitt, Jeremy Loveday and Geoff Young opposed the funding, saying the sensitive work of treating people with mental illness is best left to mental-health professionals. Mayor Lisa Helps, Chris Coleman, Charlayne Thornton-Joe, Margaret Lucas and Pam Madoff voted in support, backing acting police Chief Del Manak’s statements that the officers provide an important role in preventing mental-health crises before they escalate to criminal conduct...

 

- See more at: http://www.timescolo...h.gvGK9EuH.dpuf

 



#145 sebberry

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Posted 27 January 2017 - 04:08 PM

I'm a bit puzzled here.  Are we hiring two new police officers to fill this role?  And if we decide it's not working out do we lay them off?  When was the last time we laid off any police officers in Victoria?

 

I'm not sure why we can't repurpose two existing cops and use those funds to train them to take on this role. 


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#146 VicHockeyFan

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Posted 27 January 2017 - 04:09 PM

I'm a bit puzzled here.  Are we hiring two new police officers to fill this role?  And if we decide it's not working out do we lay them off?  When was the last time we laid off any police officers in Victoria?

 

You can do it through attrition.  243 cops, many are leaving each year.  At least 6 would retire or quit each year, no?  Maybe closer to 10.


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#147 Rob Randall

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Posted 27 January 2017 - 04:58 PM

^I believe ten this year, including two civilians and one police dog.



#148 sebberry

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Posted 27 January 2017 - 06:44 PM

^I believe ten this year, including two civilians and one police dog.

 

Maybe for $240,000 we could hire several therapy dogs then?


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#149 Bingo

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Posted 27 January 2017 - 07:28 PM

I'm not sure why we can't repurpose two existing cops and use those funds to train them to take on this role. 

 

Do any of the existing cops know how to play ping-pong?


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#150 3isenough

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Posted 28 January 2017 - 10:27 AM

Maybe for $240,000 we could hire several therapy dogs then?


In actuality, using therapy dogs when handling MHA calls would probably be way more successful. Not the traditional GSD police dog but even using rescue dogs that have been trained. Doma by great stories out there about the positive impact dogs have on a persons mental health. It would be a great addition to the two officers being hired.

#151 Nparker

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Posted 28 January 2017 - 11:18 AM

I don't think I'd want to put this little fella in contact with many of our street folk, despite his mad therapy skills.

http://www.hallmarkc...dog-home-family


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#152 3isenough

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Posted 28 January 2017 - 11:49 AM

I haven't read through the whole document yet, but the general gist looks to be that having a K9 working with Law Enforcement actually would help both the officers and the general public.

"This study will compare the buffering effect on stress and strain that the pres- ence of a dog, both on and off the job, has on law enforcement officers. Dogs may serve as an intervening variable in the relationship between strain and negative behaviors. It is expected that having a permanent K-9 unit in each department would have a positive effect on police officer health and well-being by providing social and emotion-al support. Therefore, the use of K-9 units as a stress management tool as well as a law enforcement tool will also be discussed."

http://digitalcommon...t=honors_theses

Edited by 3isenough, 28 January 2017 - 11:51 AM.


#153 AllseeingEye

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Posted 28 January 2017 - 12:36 PM

^ Yes it's okay for you to ask. No it's not something that I want to see happen here. I do want something to happen here because the direction that this city is going....is breaking my heart.

 

I used to believe that harm reduction and treatment and reaching out to people that need help was in fact a solution. It still might be for some.

 

Now however, (after tent city and the glory buss from Vancouver) I am starting to believe that there is a sinister sense of entitlement at play here that might require a dose of tough love in order to protect the hard working Victorians who are too Canadian to fight for the safety of their streets.

 

I have spent the last 6 days in a well-to-do area of the excited States of America. I have not seen one incident of begging (that's what it is) one drug deal, or one tent. (that didn't appear to be where it wasn't supposed to be).

 

I will try and find the reason for this while I am here, but I somehow doubt that left wing co-dependent socialist politics is at the core.

Pretty much this; as of January I started commuting via bus and working downtown again for the first time in almost 6 years. Since I sold my Fairfield condo I really have/had little need to venture into CoV core.

 

Now that I am getting off the bus at Douglas and Yates in the morning at 8am and reversing and catching it outbound at 4:45pm, I am frankly shocked at the sights and sounds and smells I routinely encounter each day, and the general shoddy state of the street level activities downtown. And I'm not talking about Rock Bay here but the middle of the "financial" area near the Island Savings/RBC/TD Trust/Coast Capital savings stretch on Douglas and Broughton and two blocks over to Government street where my office is.

 

People, many of them clearly with addiction and/or mental health issues are yelling and swearing and consummating dope deals not in back alleys at midnight but morning, noon and night on these main arterial and "business" streets often in plain sight, seemingly with no concern or fear from enforcement or of "getting caught".

 

They congregate near ATM's or corner coffee outlets particularly, where quite obviously they figure patrons of both might be easy marks for tossing them some change. Many are quite forceful about it too and some become agitated and aggressive if no handout is forthcoming. As I am physically fairly imposing I am unconcerned for my personal safety however I can certainly understand how others - women, and retirees particularly, or tourists - would have an altogether different reaction.

 

And all the while no evidence of any police presence whatsoever, no "uniforms" walking a beat that I can discern. Nothing at all - and why not? Perhaps the police are stretched and their 'street' emphasis is solely on the Pandora strip. I don't know, and call it a resource crunch, or entitlement, or 'enablement' or the soft stick approach.....whatever you will - but its not working. And it does nothing to assist those that clearly need the most assistance, nor does it do much for the image of the city.....


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#154 Nparker

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Posted 28 January 2017 - 04:35 PM

...People, many of them clearly with addiction and/or mental health issues are yelling and swearing and consummating dope deals not in back alleys at midnight but morning, noon and night on these main arterial and "business" streets often in plain sight, seemingly with no concern or fear from enforcement or of "getting caught"....

This can be laid firmly at the feet of the SJWs at City Hall, who refuse to believe their hands-off/housing first agenda doesn't work.


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#155 jonny

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Posted 28 January 2017 - 05:52 PM

Well to do areas of the United States is a terrible comparison. Go to Bear Mountain, the Uplands or Broadmead. You won't see a single begger or homeless person there either.

Outside of those well to do areas are neighbours where you wouldn't want to stop at a red light, nevermind get out of your car.
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#156 David Bratzer

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Posted 28 January 2017 - 08:41 PM

Well to do areas of the United States is a terrible comparison. Go to Bear Mountain, the Uplands or Broadmead. You won't see a single begger or homeless person there either.

Outside of those well to do areas are neighbours where you wouldn't want to stop at a red light, nevermind get out of your car.

 

 

I'm a bit puzzled here.  Are we hiring two new police officers to fill this role?  And if we decide it's not working out do we lay them off?  When was the last time we laid off any police officers in Victoria?

 

I'm not sure why we can't repurpose two existing cops and use those funds to train them to take on this role. 

 

 

Most departments don't allow direct entry into specialty sections.  An existing officer will usually be moved into a newly created position, and then a new officer will be hired to fill their old spot.


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#157 UDeMan

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Posted 28 January 2017 - 09:58 PM

Well to do areas of the United States is a terrible comparison. Go to Bear Mountain, the Uplands or Broadmead. You won't see a single begger or homeless person there either.

Outside of those well to do areas are neighbours where you wouldn't want to stop at a red light, nevermind get out of your car.

 

I've been asked for change at Broadmead Village a few times.  Same guy that asks for change at Royal Oak Shopping Centre.  The man just walks around the parking lot asking for money.



#158 Jenn P

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Posted 29 January 2017 - 04:30 PM

Just saw an article in The Tyee about 5 ways to address the overdose epidemic. There was, of course, not one mention of discouraging people from taking drugs or cracking down on drug dealers.

 

It is incredible to me that the SJWs profess to be so concerned about the OD crisis and yet very deliberately avoid suggesting two basic concepts that any thinking person could see would surely help to mitigate it. When you get down to it, it's not compassionate at all, just cruel.


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#159 Nparker

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Posted 29 January 2017 - 05:25 PM

...When you get down to it, it's not compassionate at all, just cruel.

One thing that always strikes me as odd in regards to those who believe endless compassion is the cure-all for illicit drug overdose deaths; do the SJWs feel the same way regarding our society's ongoing campaign to shame people away from smoking tobacco? I ask this as someone who has never smoked a cigarette in his entire life, so I am not championing tobacco, just wondering why it's OK to shame one behaviour that leads to an early death but not another.


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#160 HB

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Posted 29 January 2017 - 06:58 PM

 When was the last time we laid off any police officers in Victoria?

 

 

You could say Elsner is kind of laid off....Oh hold on I made a mistake...people who are laid off do not get paid a salary do they......silly me


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