Salmon Arm approves $50 fine for people sitting on sidewalks asking for money

Salmon Arm has followed in thefootsteps of Kelowna and Penticton by passing a bylaw thatallows officialsto fine panhandlers in the southern Interior municipality.

The bylaw amendment, passed Monday,is aimed at people who solicitfor money while sitting or lying down on a street or sidewalk, in the city located approximately 60 kilometres north of Vernon.

The $50 fine approved by Salmon Armcouncilgives ticketing power to a current bylaw passed in May, which madeit an offence for people to solicitor panhandlefromanyone while not only sitting curbside, but also within 15 metres of a bank machine, in a car, or within a public plaza, among other places.

Coun. Sylvia Lindgren was the only councillor to vote against the bylaw and$50 fine.

"I think I'm in the camp of people who believe that people who are homeless or downtown asking for money are generally either suffering from some kind of mental illness or an addiction," Lindgren said.

'Last resort,' says report

"And I just don't feel that this is an appropriate way to get them to comply."

Thepenalty is in response to complaints from businesses and community members in the city of just over 17,000 about people who are homeless, Lindgren told Radio West's Josh Pag.

In a staffreport, the ticketing option is described as a "last resort" for bylaw officers and police touse.

Mayor Alan Harrison told council on Mondayhe was in favour of the fine knowing that it would be used "softly," or with discretion by officers.

However, Lindgren questioned how homeless people will be able to afford the fine.

"Ijust wonderwhat's the point [of the fine] if it's money that we won't be able to collect?" saidLindgren.

"They're obviously panhandling because they don't have any money and the money that they're getting is going to food or to support a habit perhaps," said Lindgren.

Salmon Arm's fine is less than Penticton's $100 penalty for sitting on on a downtown street or sidewalk, but goesfurther by applying it to all sidewalks and streets in the city. The Penticton bylaw applies to a select few downtown streets during certain times of the year.

Unfair to homeless: councillor

Coun.Louise Wallace-Richmond, who favoursthe bylaw, said fining panhandlersis a way to enforce bylaws without having to call the RCMP and having criminal chargeslaid under the provincialSafe Streets Act.

Wallace-Richmond told councilthatonce police are called and "there's a criminal charge, it's out of our hands and we've lost the opportunity."

However, Lindgren said the $50 penalty unfairly targets people who need money and she wouldwould prefer the city focused on other initiatives to help the homeless, such as the work its doing with the province to bring in affordable housing units.