Recidivism seems to be the best word to describe the way police are once again treating the homeless. In spite of the claims from City representatives, as reported in the Abbotsford News, that the City and police would be using outreach or social workers to deal with any Homeless forced to sleep in what were deemed “inappropriate” locations this is not what is occurring. Instead the police have quickly relapsed back into their habitual antisocial behaviours of amusing themselves by tormenting the homeless.

Once again it appears that we are facing the total waste of taxpayer dollars as the police squander their time in the pointless harassment of those who have no place to go, while they cry they lack the resources to deal with gangs and violence. A homeless person sleeping in the street is an eye-sore; an armed gang member is a threat to life and limb. Seemingly the City lacks any ability to set priorities in what they should be doing, whether in regards to is truly needed in terms of capital building projects or in setting goals for what the police force should be doing.

Indignant!! That is the best way to describe the effect that this resuming of old police behaviour has had on one of the workers whom the City claimed would now be used instead of heavy handed police (mis)behaviour in order to actually help the homeless get their lives back on track. While the police have never spoken about the homeless to this worker, the homeless have been speaking of repeatedly being awoken and or harassed by the police. Who apparently took the closing of “Compassion Park” as carte blanche for the reopening of “Harass the Homeless Season”.

This police behaviour was such as to result in a suggestion that this unacceptable behaviour required a letter to the editor. Given the reports I had and have been hearing on police activities I had to agree this reprehensible conduct must be denounced. Moreover it needs to stop.