Criminalizing the Vulnerable

Homelessness, mental health and addiction are the only illnesses that are criminalized. This year we are  seeing police forces across the country asking for more money to deal with the crisis of homelessness, mental illness and addiction. Distressingly their requests are being granted with enthusiasm and authority by municipal councils and Mayors (yes you John Tory of the special mayoral powers). Last year Premier Ford directed health dollars for mental health and addiction to police forces in Ontario to deal with the issue. Who then turned around and contracted with agencies to provide therapeutic services – often insisting outreach workers dress in body armour. Therapeutic intervention indeed.

Police are the last people who should be dealing with people who are struggling with homelessness and complex illnesses. Stigma has labeled vulnerable people as dangerous. Even though a plethora of evidence shows that people who are homeless are much more likely to have violence visited upon them (often by police or private enforcement) than they are to commit violence.

Police do not want to be dealing with vulnerable people unless it is to serve and protect them. They are not trained, nor should they be trained to deal with people who have complex illnesses. Yet the groundhog day response by government continues. Homelessness increases and governments increase police and bylaw enforcement. This is not a solution. It is a (sometimes deadly) reaction. The solution is housing, with appropriate supports – medical and social. It is not rocket science, nor is it expensive. It is vastly cheaper than police, hospitals, jails and emergency services.

More police, more hospitals, more jails get votes. People die so people with privilege can feel safe, even though their safety is rarely in danger. Every single incident of violence committed by a person on the streets is magnified ten fold. Every death of person on the streets is virtually ignored. Like the person never existed. I used to think we were better than this.

Stigma is driving how we respond to vulnerable. It exists in all facets of our society. Stigma is why we look to police and not the health system. Stigma is what people face from the health and social services system – especially in the ER. The system is ass backwards – all to protect those with privilege at the expense of the lives of those most vulnerable.

I used to think we were better than this.