Pubdate: Sun, 19 Feb 2006
Source: Langley Times (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 BC Newspaper Group and New Media Development
Contact:  http://www.langleytimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1230
Author: Monique Tamminga
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

FORUM A FIRST STEP TOWARD HELP FOR HOMELESS, ADDICTED

Meeting Held To Seek Consensus, Solutions

Langley is taking its first steps toward solving its growing homeless 
and drug problems.

Langley MP Mark Warawa hosted a forum Wednesday evening, bringing 
together key people in the community at the Murrayville fire hall.

"We will meet again in three weeks to implement a plan. Tonight I 
want to reach a consensus of what we can do to make Langley safe," 
said Warawa to the group, which included both Langley mayors, school 
board chair Steve Burton, fire chiefs and bylaw officers.

The forum also brought out members of Langley RCMP's drug section and 
crime prevention unit, along with new chief, Supt. Janice Armstrong, 
who brings her expertise from Maple Ridge, the first community to 
start up a multi-faceted crystal meth watch program.

Also in attendance was the Salvation Army, a treatment centre staff 
member, Langley Memorial Hospital's health services, school district 
and community services reps, including Langley Youth and Family 
Services and Stepping Stones.

While the forum was called to get a community drug task force going 
in Langley, it was quickly learned that a homeless shelter is the 
largest priority, followed by getting detox or a treatment centre in Langley.

"I have noticed such an increase in homeless," said the City's only 
bylaw officer Patty Gilfillan. "The first thing I do in the morning 
is remove the homeless from requests by merchants. It used to be one 
or two, now its camps of five or 10 people with everything they own. 
I'm just moving them from one place to another."

Township Mayor Kurt Alberts is concerned with what a shelter can 
bring to a community. He told the forum that he's spoken to mayors 
and other politicians in other communities who said the situation 
only gets worse once a shelter opens because crime goes up, with 
loitering, open drug use and a collection of homeless from other communities.

"It has to be a comprehensive approach," warned Alberts about 
bringing a shelter here.

Salvation Army envoy Gary Johnson explained that the shelter would 
act as a gateway to detox, treatment, employment and counseling, not 
just a building to house the homeless.

Health Services head Leanne Heppell, who just arrived at Langley 
Memorial Hospital in June from managing Vancouver General's 
emergency, was surprised to see Langley has the same drug addiction issues.

"We particularly don't do a good job with the homeless. We don't have 
a system set up for that or for addictions," said Heppell.

With a bed crunch and a medical system based on getting patients out 
as quickly as possible, there is no time to deal with the homeless 
and addicts, let alone follow-up with them.

Those who come in are just as quickly sent away.

Many crystal meth users are coming into LMH with open sores and 
infections, she said.

"Crystal meth is a huge issue. What we see is the brain damage. What 
we don't have is a system set up for people with brain damage, let 
alone from crystal meth."

 From the school district's perspective, educating parents and 
students about the harms of drug addiction is the key.

Many parents just aren't aware of what their kids are doing.

"If we could prevent 12-year-old girls from using then we wouldn't 
have 30-year-old women living under our bridges now," said Burton.

The impact of drug addiction is devastating to the business 
community, said Bev Dornan, president of the Greater Langley Chamber 
of Commerce.

"The impact of shoplifting is enormous," said Dornan, who said she 
speaks from experience working at Otter Co-op.

Township senior bylaw officer Bill Storie said it's key to define 
homelessness, because the squatters he is dealing with in the 
Township are nothing more than low-level criminals.

"We just spent seven days removing low level crime transients.

"They chose not to get help and wouldn't use a shelter," said Storie.

He added that the neighbours of these transients are suffering from 
property crime and fear, and all that can be done is to move these 
people along.

"I had nearly 100 neighbours come and thank me after we removed those 
people in Willoughby," he said.

For the next meeting, City Mayor Peter Fassbender asked the Salvation 
Army for a business plan to be prepared, detailing what square 
footage is needed for a shelter.

He also asked the school district to prepare a business plan 
detailing how they intend to create awareness for children and parents.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom