Public Disorder & the Decline of Vancouver's Livability

[rofina]

Originally Posted by Changing City

I live in the DTES, so I see people suffering from psychosis on a regular basis. Generally they are 'harmless', (except potentially to themselves), but I acknowledge they can be noisy, frightening and disruptive. It's not new - they've been around for years, but with fewer places for them to go during the pandemic, and far fewer people out and about doing 'regular' things like eating out or shopping, it's more noticeable. I'm not aware that there is anywhere to detain them 'for their own good', unless they actually cause somebody else harm or carried out a crime that had a good chance of prosecution (and even then, they would usually be released once the psychotic episode has passed).

And you're being disingenuous - locked up in a psychiatric unit (if there were more spaces than there are now) is not significantly different from locked up in a detention centre or jail. You want them off the streets and locked up.

Of course I want them off the streets. What rational human with an ounce of empathy wouldn't want these people off the street?

I genuinely don't understand your perspective.

You say harmless, and pair it with noisy, frightening, and disruptive.

Allow me to ask; is there a limit to empathy?

Hypothetically, if one individual is noisy frightening and disruptive to 100 residents, do his/her issues outweigh the disruption caused to the 100? What about if that number is 1000? 10,000? Is there a limit in this model?

I think we need more housing with more wrap-around support, including a safe (untainted) drug supply to people who are addicted. That's slowly happening, but in the meantime their presence is a reality I acknowledge. The new mental health rehab unit that opened this week is an example of how things might improve over time, but it only has 11 additional beds, which isn't enough. I think there's also going to be unit as part of the new St Pauls.

I think all levels of government are not moving with nearly enough urgency to provide these services.

This should a high order priority, arguably the highest order priority as the ROI on these investments would be preposterous.