City looking for support on homeless encampments

By Lethbridge Herald on April 8, 2023.

Lethbridge Police Service officers watch as people gather their belongings from a homeless encampment before a fence was installed last October at the Civic Centre field. Herald file photo by Al Beeber

Al Beeber – LETHBRIDGE HERALD – abeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

Mayor Blaine Hyggen on Tuesday hand-delivered on behalf of city council and the city a letter to Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services, asking for the support of the Alberta Sheriffs to help deal with encampments here this year.

The mayor told media in a Zoom meeting Wednesday afternoon a lot of criminal activity happens in entrenched encampments and he is concerned about people in the social sector going to camps without security present.

“It’s not fair to those folks that are going to help these individuals without having somebody to support them in case something was to happen.”

Hyggen said he had a conversation with Ellis and the Minister was “very receptive” to the city proposal.

He said the Sheriffs are relieving some stress on police forces in Alberta’s two largest cities. 

“It’s something that I thought that we should definitely look at as a way to keep our community safe.”

Bringing the Sheriffs in is just one part of a strategy to deal with homelessness in Lethbridge, a strategy which includes the construction of supportive housing and a 48-bed recovery facility slated to open later this spring as well as the expansion of shelter facilities.

Hyggen was inspired to seek Sheriff support after seeing them deployed in both Calgary and Edmonton recently.

“It would just help us with some of the concerns that we have throughout Lethbridge,” said the mayor, emphasizing the action isn’t to deal with the homeless.

“We say it’s for the encampments. I want to make sure that’s separated because those that are homeless, this is another strategy council is working on to find additional shelter space, housing, supportive housing – any of these types of services that are needed for these individuals. But this is nothing to do with just that law and order that some people are saying ‘you’re gonna come in and you’re gonna rip things down.’”

The mayor said safety is the motivation for bringing the Sheriffs here, including the safety of residents in the encampments. He pointed to a shooting at a camp last year as a example of the lack of safety in camps.

“In my opinion, there’s absolutely no higher priority in our community than to keeping our streets safe and our citizens of Lethbridge protected. Some of the issues that we were finding within the encampments, and I’ll be very honest, a lot of the issues aren’t shared with the public and they shouldn’t be to protect those involved,” said the mayor.

“There’s a lot of criminal activity that happens within these encampments, especially when they’re entrenched. So there’s other ways we need to work with getting the housing…additional shelter space, et cetera to deal with the homelessness because we do have to have a place for these folks to go,” added the mayor.

What happens in entrenched encampments need to be dealt with, said Hyggen, noting that crime is at an all-time high. He said when the Crime Severity Index comes out the city will see what’s happening.

“This is across Canada, this isn’t Lethbridge only,” said the mayor adding that’s why all the chiefs of police want to provincial leaders.

“This catch-and-release is something that has caused a lot of issues. And many of the crimes that are committed are those that were released back on the street from already serious crimes and have committed crimes up to and including murder. It’s something I don’t want anybody’s family to have to deal with and so it’s important to have the additional resources that are required,” noted the mayor.

The police aren’t as readily available as sometimes they would with to deal with camp issues because they’re busy, he said.

“They do a great work within our community but you can only do so much with the resources you have. There are new officers that have been hired and they’re going through the process and they’ll be on the streets here soon. So that will help somewhat but this is in addition to, it’s just additional resources,” added the mayor.

Sheriffs will work with and liaise with the LPS if they come here, the mayor said.

Crime happening in entrenched encampments includes drug trafficking, prostitution and other activities.

“We want to make sure these encampments as down as quick as they’re up, in my opinion, because it doesn’t allow for that activity to get imbedded in those areas,” said the mayor.

Lethbridge city council on Tuesday voted by a 6-2 motion to seek the help. Councillors Belinda Crowson and Jeff Carlson were opposed, both expressing their feelings the matter should first be addressed by the Lethbridge Police Commission. Crowson told the meeting the commission can hold special meetings and could deal with the matter promptly. She told council she had issues with the resolution put forward by deputy mayor John Middleton-Hope for reasons she could only discuss in camera.