By Chantal Wagner

Police respond to homeless encampments with partnership

Apr 8, 2020 | 5:10 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB -Medicine Hat Police along with local organizations are partnering to combat homeless encampments in our city.

Police say the ultimate goal of the program is to ensure all parks and open spaces within the community are enjoyable for everyone.

Inspector Brent Secondiak says the program includes Municipal Bylaw Enforcement Section, Community Housing Outreach workers, and Parks and Recreation.

He says their goal is to have occupants leave their encampment scene immediately.

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They will also be provided with information on the city’s housing programs and only rely on enforcement measures when necessary.

“There’s a lot of drug use in some of the camps. Some of them are just people that don’t have contacts with community housing here. So it will involve some of our bylaw officers searching different areas that are commonly associated with these encampments a few times a week providing them information on where they can go for housing within the city.”

Secondiak adds they see a lot of homeless encampment spots along the river and behind the food bank and have seen an increase of encampments in various areas of the city over the past few years.

He says there have been three or four encampments already this year and one this week where there was a firearm involved.