Advocates push back against targeting the poor in downtown Hamilton

Decision-makers hoping to stop loitering downtown risk criminalizing the poor and marginal, say social advocates.

They say broader community solutions are needed, not a crackdown that excludes certain kinds of people from public spaces.

The city’s task force for cleanliness and security in the downtown is looking at a three-year pilot project that would dedicate a bylaw enforcement officer and police officer to the area around Gore Park, similar to a program in Barrie.

To read more about what is being done in Hamilton, click HERE for the full article and a brief video.