ARCHES to end supervised consumption services and needle collection
By Herald on August 12, 2020.
ARCHES employees pick up debris outside of the city's supervised consumption site. The organization is ceasing supervised consumption services and needle collection at the end of August. Herald file photo by Ian Martens
@IMartensHeraldLethbridge Herald
ARCHES will be ceasing all its supervised consumption services and needle collection.
A letter sent out by ARCHES to neighbouring business owners, dated Aug. 7, says supervised consumption, needle collection and outreach services will end Aug. 31, and that the organization will vacate the downtown site entirely by Sept. 30.
The impending closure of the current SCS comes on the heels of a decision announced by the province last month to defund ARCHES as an organization after an audit revealed serious fiscal mismanagement.
An update will follow with more details on the repercussions of this announcement.
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Finally, light at the end of the tunnel!
ARCHES has failed on so many levels.
1). It was a terrible member of the community. It believed that its needs superseded those of its neighbours It was openly hostile to any concerns that were brought forward…needles, threats to citizens and employees, feces, etc .etc. etc. were just things that had to be endured for the greater good. You cannot move into an area, even with the noble goal of saving lives, and expect surrounding businesses to sacrifice themselves on your alter of good intentions. It was incumbent on ARCHES to find a way to co-exist.
2). It was utterly devoid of even the most basic management practises. Again, the attitude was that because we’re saving lives we have licence to ride roughshod over any scrutiny and again, any questions about its operating practises were met with scorn and disdain. The most charitable interpretation of this whole fiscal mess is that the board of directors have a level of incompetence that is stunning. The least charitable person would say that the board is filled with a bunch of thieves and fraudsters.
3.) It utterly failed those vulnerable souls it was suppose to protect. Any competent board had to know that this defunding was going to happen. Operating in such an arrogant manner could only end this way and one wonders if it truly was concerned with its obligation of care. It seems that this organization is corrupt at every level.