Saanich police use helicopter to spot homeless in parks
ROB SHAW, Times Colonist
Police have taken to the sky to search for homeless people camping in Saanich parks.
Officers used one of the RCMP’s provincial helicopters this week to scour the more than 150 municipal parks. It was the first time they’ve used aerial surveillance to spot hard-to-see camps of homeless people, said Saanich police spokesman Const. Brad Brajcich. “It was a trial for us,” he said.
As warm summer weather increases, police are concerned campers pose a serious fire risk in wooded areas, said Brajcich.
On Monday, officers spotted two suspicious-looking areas in Cuthbert Holmes Park, near Admirals Road and the Trans-Canada Highway. The police bike squad investigated the sites Tuesday but they appeared abandoned, said Const. Michael Gee.
“They weren’t used to camp, it was something that had been there for some time,” said Gee, who is on the bike squad.
A pair of Saanich bike officers patrol the parks and Galloping Goose Trail every day looking for campers, said Gee. In the last year, Gee said he’s noticed a significant decrease in homeless camping in Saanich. “We’re finding we don’t have as many campers here as in the city,” he said.
If officers do find a camp, park staff haul away the belongings — such as tarps, clothes and backpacks — and leave a note with contact information. Saanich parks manager Rae Roer said it is rare for anyone to actually claim missing belongings. Camping in a park violates municipal bylaws and can result in a fine.
The homeless community is a particular focus of police in the summer. In Victoria, increased police enforcement usually drives the homeless out of the tourist-filled downtown core, along the Galloping Goose Trail to camping locations in Vic West and Saanich. Last summer, residents of newly built condos in Vic West began complaining to police, who in turn increased patrols and pushed the campers elsewhere.
A CRD bylaw officer accompanied police during the helicopter ride to look at regional parks, such as Elk/Beaver Lake. Chief CRD bylaw officer Don Brown said it was a unique opportunity, because the CRD could not afford a helicopter on its own.
Saanich police said it did not cost much money to charter the helicopter, because the force already contributes to a provincial fund and gets a number of flight-days a year.
this is just crazy. i guess i should not be surprised. this attack on the poor is hidden under the veil of 'fire safety' i would be more concerned about vacationing campers being reckless. if someone is living in the park i would assume they would be more inclined to safeguard the park, not wanting to burn down their home and all.
each time i see something like this i always think, really? this is how we can best spend our time, or tax funds. this is the best you came up with? so annoying.
Notice that they don't cite any examples of fires being started by homeless people in those woods.
There are more fires started in homes by people with jobs.
Perhaps we should make living in a house illegal.
Perhaps all humans should be rounded up and caged in fire safe receptacles.
Though often it seems that's just what the state is trying to do.
Harassment: wow, way to spend the allocated helicopter charter time while further polluting the environment! How bout looking for missing people instead, or patrolling the hordes of weekend campers, or putting out their actual fires instead of imaginary potential ones?
Personally, i would presume that park residents would avoid having their live and belongings go up in flames, and the fact that they have not speak to their skills around fire safety. Being homeless is not being stupid - in fact seems the opposite is true. After all , the kettle valley fires a few years back were started by a trained Fire fighter who threw a cigarette off the roof of his house.
what a retarded waste of resources, go searching for all the meth labs and grow operations and get the scumbag con artist scummy drugdealers off the street and outta business first, show how a better life can be lived and is actually enhance WITHOUT the dependence of drugs as a chemical refuge emotional hiding place, how much damage is wrecked, destroying so many lives, provide education and information, knowledge then wisdom to counteract these predators of the mind-it is all about trying to control
then again lots of these "camps" are storage areas for stolen property traded for drugs anyways so either way, its a war on drugs..and lots of dealers are addicts...still comes down to the same problem in the end...