Shib ibsue: (¥ Senators doing business in a new way (Y HeForShe and the UN's plea for change (YW Kinder Morgan loses case against Burnaby And more! Oppenheimer tent city forced to pack up » Number of homeless in Vancouver highest ever recorded Angela Espinoza News Editor Mi news @theotherpress.ca fter two and 1/2 months, Vancouver’s Oppenheimer Park tent city was ruled to disband on September 26. Over 200 people were living in the makeshift camp from in late September. The City of Vancouver says that all of the former inhabitants of the camp now have the opportunity to find housing. In attempt to create spaces : for Vancouver's alarming : homeless numbers, rooms : have opened up at a former : restaurant on goo Pacific : Street, the Union Gospel : Mission, and the Quality Inn : on Howe. The Quality Inn : specifically is to be torn down : in two to three years, but until : then Vancouver has stated that : the hotel will be used to offer : affordable housing. mid-July until its forced closure : Vancouver’s count of : people either homeless or living : : on the street doubled from 273, : : last year to 538 this year, as of : March. “This is very frustrating : news to see the street count : that high,” said Vancouver : Mayor Gregor Robertson at a : press conference in April. The residency of the : Oppenheimer tent city : increased after the initial dozen : protestors were presented with : eviction notices, garnering : the attention of hundreds. : Originally the protest was : meant to raise awareness of : the overwhelming homeless : numbers and to reassert the : city’s recognition this year as unceded Coast Salish land. Dismantling the tent : city was ruled necessary as : Vancouver’s weather has : rapidly worsened since the : summer, and numerous cases Have an idea for a story? Let us know! Contact: Angela Espinoza, News Editor Mnews@theotherpress.ca www. theotherpress.ca : of health and safety risks were : brought to the Vancouver : Police Department’s (VPD) : attention. Amongst many other : issues, violence, unsanitary : living conditions inside the : tents, and drug trafficking had : the city viewing the community : : asa threat unto itself. In an affidavit written : by VPD Inspector Howard : Chow, 21 points were listed : in requesting the closure of : the camp, citing fear that a : potential homicide or drug : overdose was likely to occur. : Chow referenced the overdose : and death of 23-year-old Ashlie : Gough within 20n’s Occupy : Vancouver tent city as a source : for concern. Chow also stated that : maintaining security on : behalf of the VPD has : totalled roughly $75,000 in : overtime to keep the park safe. According to the Globe : and Mail, as of September 18, : “364 documented police calls : and 170 cited incidents” had : occurred since the camp’s : settlement in July. Permanent housing areas : are set to open later his year on : Fraser Street, Princess Avenue, : and Boundary Road, offering a : total of nearly 300 units. Vermeersch case stirs debate on high-risk releases » Authorities say the only preventable measure was keeping Caissie incarcerated Angela Espinoza News Editor Mi news @theotherpress.ca he September 16 death of 17-year-old Surrey teen Serena Vermeersch has caused mass debate on the topic of releasing high-risk offenders in BC. In what’s been described as a random attack, Vermeersch was the alleged victim of Raymond Lee Caissie, 43, who was released in June 2013 aftera 22-year prison sentence. Several Canadian political figures, including Attorney General Suzanne Anton, Justice Minister Peter MacKay, BC Premier Christy Clark, and Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts have publicly stated their disproval with releasing Caissie, or any high-risk offenders Serena Vermeersch : back into their respective : communities, following : the murder of Vermeersch. : Repeatedly the word : “preventable” has been used in : addressing the case, suggesting : Caissie should have remained in : prison for an indefinite amount : of time. Caissie’s initial sentence : was in 1991 for the sexual : assault, unlawful confinement, : and robbery of a then-21- _t year-old BC woman. While : reform is certainly possible for : some, Caissie maintained a : long history of violence inside : prison, refused rehabilitation : programs, and openly stated he : did not wish to be released. When Caissie was : eventually released, the RCMP: : issued adamant public warnings : : that he was likely to reoffend. : According to the Surrey RCMP : notice of Caissie’s release, : he was “to be supervised by : the Surrey Probation Office : and monitored by the Surrey : RCMP” “We need to find a better : way to ensure the public is : protected from dangerous : offenders by ensuring we have : enough tools, and it’s a matter : that I will be discussing with : the RCMP and my federal : colleagues,” said Anton ina : public statement. Electronic monitoring : devices such as ankle “bracelets” : are typically used for offenders : of smaller crimes in BC, but : may be introduced to high- : risk offenders following the : Vermeersch case. However, Douglas College criminologist Nahanni Pollard : told CBC, “Ina situation like : this, I think that would be : probably less helpful, because : it’s not going to be able to tell : you what an offender is doing at : any one time.” Clark and MacKay are : adamant that Caissie should : never have been released. : “The only way to prevent : dangerous repeat offenders : from committing other crimes : is to not let them out into the : community,’ Clark told CBC. “We're looking at ways in : which the very worst, those : who are most violent, those : who have committed offences, : murder, in concert with other : violent offences against the : public and the individual, that : they’re never released,” said : MacKay ina public statement. The Vermeersch case has : also brought into question : how many high-risk offenders : are currently living in BC. : According to CBC, “there are : currently 31 offenders” that are : considered high-risk living in : various BC communities—two : of whom are electronically : monitored. Caissie is on trial for the : second-degree murder of : Vermeersch as of September 22.