The provincial government hopes new legislation will give communities more power to combat “nuisance” properties linked to gang and drug crime.
Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said Thursday that the amended Community Safety Act will allow neighbours of “crack shacks” and other properties frequented by criminals to make confidential complaints to a new provincial unit.
That unit, once operational later this year, will work with municipal governments and police across B.C. to find ways to shut down problem sites as quickly as possible, Farnworth said.
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Lawyer Kyla Lee said she has serious concerns about the new legislation, which would expand the reasons for community safety orders to include possession, production, use, trafficking and sale of drugs, cannabis and liquor. It also references “the use or consumption, by any person, of any intoxicating substance as an intoxicant” and specifically references liquor laws.
“My concern is the addition of these specified activities that could lead to somebody being subject to a community safety order and being barred entry to their property or trailer home or whatever is significant, because the designated activities don’t just include things being connected to organized crime that we should be concerned about … it also includes being simply intoxicated by drugs and alcohol,” said Lee.
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