Police to return $46,500 of tent city funds to Victoria

Money comes from $113,000 earmarked for extra patrols around encampment

Victoria police will return $46,500 of the $113,000 it received from the City of Victoria for extra patrols around the now-dismantled tent city on the courthouse grounds.

Acting Chief Del Manak told councillors Thursday that just over half of the money — about $66,500 — was used.

“The remaining $46,500 we won’t be using and wasn’t required, so we’ll be making arrangements to return that to the city,” Manak said.

Councillors unanimously approved Manak’s May 20 request for an additional $113,000 in funding for extra policing around the encampment at Burdett Avenue and Quadra Street. Manak told councillors the tent city was beset by drug use and violence.

The last campers left the site in mid August following an order by B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson that the camp be vacated. Many of the campers moved into new government housing in a former care home on Johnson Street.

Manak said the fact that the tent city was dismantled and the residents relocated without incident was a testament to the policing in and around the encampment.

“We ended the camp, and it was closed down with people being housed. It [was] ended with no arrests, no injuries, no complaints, and that’s really unheard of,” he said. “If you look at camps that have been entrenched with that many people over that period of time, I think what we achieved was quite successful.”

Tent city, however, was costly to the city. City manager Jason Johnson said conservative estimates placed the financial cost of tent city at $560,000 to the end of May, with weekly costs for extra supports estimated at $92,700.

The city has asked the province to share the additional costs, without success.

B.C. Housing Minister Rich Coleman says more than 300 people have been housed since the tent city emerged last fall.

The government bought Central Care Home on Johnson Street for $13.5 million, Mount Edwards Court Care Home on Vancouver Street for $3.9 million and the Super 8 hotel on Douglas Street for $6.5 million. It also set up temporary shelters at the former Boys and Girls Club on Yates Street and the former youth custody centre in View Royal at a cost of more than $1.3 million.