We are over-policing marginalized people

Re: “Workers feel unsafe near Our Place, council told,” Feb. 10.

It is disappointing to see another inflammatory headline about people subjected to homelessness being dangerous and dysfunctional.

In the article, Coun. Geoff Young states that the VicPD has claimed that the city’s street cleanup crews refuse to clean up Pandora Avenue unless police have been there first to “ensure their safety.”

We must stop perpetuating this tiresome narrative that people living on the streets are dangerous. Doing so contributes to the ongoing stigmatization of homelessness, mental-health issues and drug use, which research suggests only worsens these conditions.

The situation around Our Place can be linked to this harmful narrative, which has resulted in the overpolicing of marginalized folks in other areas of the city. It should be obvious that when police disband tent cities or push people out of other neighbourhoods, one of the only places for them to go is to Our Place, where they are at least “tolerated” by law enforcement.

It is also peculiar that the claim comes from the police — not from city workers themselves — at a time when VicPD is heavily lobbying council for a whopping six per cent increase to its budget.

As a young woman, I walk along Pandora Avenue often and have never felt unsafe. In fact, when walking at night, it’s a place where I feel the safest, as there are people around who — despite the narrative — do care about their fellow human beings.

Kim Mackenzie

Victoria