Echo Column - What the heck is anti-social behaviour?

First appearing in the Downtown and North Shore Echo:

I have a honest and legitimate disagreement with some folks within city hall. I guess that's the best way you can characterize it. I might be wrong about this, but hear me out here.

I get concerned when people within City Hall talk about combating "anti-social" behaviour.  This past week, the City announced the creation of a Coordinated Enforcement Task Force, which will combine bylaws and RCMP officers to target crime in key commercial areas  - and "anti-social behaviour that has led to the perception that these areas are unsafe".

I have no problem with the crime part. Target criminals, arrest and prosecute them - this makes total sense to me.

But, what is anti-social behaviour?? And why do we create this separate category?

I guess the trouble for me begins with the fact that I have never seen an exact definition of non-criminal "anti-social" behaviour. By leaving the meaning of the term so open ended, are we opening up the potential for abuses of authority?

If two homeless people, who haven't showered in days and look very shoddy, sit on a bench on Victoria Street peacefully chatting or playing cards, is this anti-social?

Don't people who "don't look right" have rights to use our public spaces?

Who's problem is it, really, if passerbys feel unsafe walking past these two homeless people?

I know there is a real problem here. The problem is that people are committing crimes downtown, and on Tranquille Rd, and in city parks. Let's spend all our time just on that, how does that sound?

The vast majority of RCMP and City Bylaws officers do an amazing job - the crime rate is plummeting. But, they are not going to solve deep rooted social problems. Their only real tool, with non criminal transients, is to say "move along" - and that leads us to truly fruitless displacement. The problems aren't addressed in any way whatsoever, they just become someone elses.

Comments

[marsha]

yeah that is disturbing...a definition would be nice...otherwise there are many like me and including me who will end up in jail for anti-social behaviour