Ticketing panhandlers will hurt the vulnerable, says anti-poverty worker
Giving parking enforcement officers the power to deal with panhandlers in Fredericton will only exacerbate the issue, says a local anti-poverty official.
City council approved changes to loitering and begging laws this week, permitting parking commissionaires to write tickets to any violators, but Dan Weston, co-ordinator of the Fredericton Anti-Poverty Organization, said the move will hurt already vulnerable individuals.
"Every answer to a problem is a fine or a jail sentence," Weston told Information Morning Fredericton.
"These folks, when you're sitting on a sidewalk in the middle of winter, it's cold. You don't have any money. You're not there because you want to be."
Weston said ticketing people who are likely not able to pay the fine could lead to further punitive measures within the justice system.
"It's not a positive reaction from the city," he said.
Weston said commissionaires will also need self-defence training in case things get ugly when writing a ticket.
The city said enforcement officers will be trained in interacting with panhandlers and in ways of offering support.
Money is the answer
Money is the answer, Weston said, adding a guaranteed income would help. Municipalities like Fredericton should lobby for such a program, he said.
The City of Fredericton said ticketing panhandlers will be a last resort.
Meredith Gilbert, manager of transit and parking services for Fredericton, said the move is more about offering support and guidance.
"To help them get off the streets, maybe it's getting a cup of coffee, finding some mental health resources," Gilbert said Monday.
"It's making sure that they have clean clothes, a meal."
Gilbert said parking commissionaires in Moncton have been playing this extra role for a couple years and it's been a success.
