STOP SHELTER `TOURS': MAYOR
Letter decries unscheduled visits
Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson says he has “serious concerns” over unscheduled “tours” by members of the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) and city councillors to Tipinawâw shelter.
In a letter obtained by Postmedia addressed to Edmonton Police Commission chairwoman Micki Ruth, Iveson stated agency staff at the 300-person shelter at the Edmonton Convention Centre first became aware of the visits by EPS and councillors when an unannounced delegation arrived at the back entrance.
“Agency staff at the shelter report that neither the EPS members nor the councillor were wearing sufficient PPE, which was concerning both for the vulnerable residents at the shelter, agency staff, and the EPS members themselves,” the letter states.
“Staff have been managing various outbreaks of COVID -19 at the shelter and were alarmed about EPS members arriving unscheduled and unprepared to protect themselves or others from exposure to COVID-19. Other considerations like vulnerable persons' privacy and dignity were also paramount in their mind.”
The shelter program is staffed and supported by Homeward Trust, Boyle Street Community Services, Bissell Centre, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Centre and The Mustard Seed. It was created in response to gaps in Alberta's housing and shelter systems and the program is funded and run by the City of Edmonton.
Iveson stated while he is aware EPS has arranged with the agencies to routinely check Tipinawâw for security reasons, and agency staff recommended those be unscheduled, guests of police were not intended and therefore “inappropriate” to include.
Iveson said he has serious concerns about the actions of police.
“There is nothing to be gained in terms of knowledge by surprising agency workers who are doing their very best under extremely difficult and high-stress conditions, especially as we enter the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he stated.
“In fact, this approach would seem to be rooted in an assumption that agency workers themselves are contributing to problems arising at shelters such as Tipinawâw.”
He added he also has concerns over the potential exposure of the city's vulnerable population to COVID-19, as well as them feeling intimidated by “unsolicited and unscheduled police presence.”
“The shelter space the city has established with the sole purpose of housing these community members,” Iveson wrote.
“Tipinawâw cannot become a place where vulnerable people feel unsafe because of surprise inspections by political entourages escorted by armed EPS members in uniform.”
According to Edmonton police spokeswoman Carolin Maran, the visits were facilitated by members of the EPS community engagement team and downtown division's BEATS teams as part of continued discussions on community safety and well-being.
Police facilitated visits with councillors to a variety of housing options to offer a view of the current situation facing vulnerable community members, staff and partners.
“This included visits to both permanent and temporary supportive housing options like Tipinawâw, and a visit to an encampment in the river valley near the Edmonton Convention Centre,” Maran said.
“In an effort to maintain political neutrality, visits were offered to all council members and, to maintain transparency, all councillors were advised that visits would be unannounced. Three visits have been facilitated to date.”
She said the visits were not structured as surprise inspections or security checks, and open dialogue took place between community members and staff who approached police and councillors.
“Visits at all of the housing locations were limited to common areas to respect and ensure the privacy and dignity of residents,” she said.
She also noted the allegations of inadequate PPE were investigated, and all EPS members present wore masks as mandated by Alberta Health Services.
Prior to receipt of Iveson's letter, Maran said EPS received concerns from one councillor who did not visit, discussed the concerns with their social safety net partners and stopped the visits.
Coun. Aaron Paquette said he was approached by EPS earlier this week to take a tour, but turned them down.
“We're entering a third wave of COVID, we know this. So just showing up unannounced and without the proper PPE is not safe for the workers, or the residents of the shelter, especially during these ongoing outbreaks,” he said.
“It doesn't create a place of community or trust for the residents. Let's just understand that right now, this is their home.”
He added there is also the issue of political neutrality. He said the focus should be on dealing with the pandemic, and areas that will make a difference such as housing, mental health supports and addictions solutions.
“The frontline workers there, they've got enough to do rather than, you know, being suddenly put upon by the whims of a councillor who wants to have a tour,” he said. “We already know what the conditions are like. We don't have to go in and do some kind of grandstanding on the backs of the poor, just for political reasons.”
Paquette also noted Tipinawâw is due to close on April 30 and residents will be moved to smaller facilities.
In his letter, Iveson asked the police commission to take the concerns he's raised seriously, and ask Edmonton police to stop the unscheduled visits.
In an emailed statement, EPC spokesman Matthew Barker said the commission received the letter from Iveson Friday night and Ruth has spoken to Edmonton police Chief Dale Mcfee who “acknowledges the issue.”