City Park solution?

Lots of people are mad at the way City Park is these days.

It is a main tourist park and reflects big time on how Kelowna is viewed.

We are heavily dependent on tourism.

The problem is the drug addicts and homeless, throwing their needles on the ground where they pose a hazard to everyone. Having sex in public. Defecating in public. Scaring people, being a very real danger.

So what to do? The RCMP are not doing the job. There aren't enough of them, or they are too busy with too big a patrol area. 

I am from Regina. We never really had any problems in the main park there. The park has its own police force. Most cities the size of Kelowna have city police to concentrate on city problems.

You likely wouldn’t need that many. You could use them in other parks as well.

If you start searching these addicts and dealers and taking away their drugs, at least  that would be a start. Enforce hours and rules about sleeping in the park and hassle the heck out of people. Make it uncomfortable, and they will usually move on. Arrest if necessary.

Do nothing, and the homeless and druggies will take over the city.

I had my own homeless/druggie problem on my business property. First thing I did was throw out all their stuff. I made it hard for them to nest there.

These people are not harmless. They hurt our city's image and can be extremely dangerous.

It won't cost much to have a full-time park security force. It will cost way way more in lost revenue from people not coming here.

A. Brown, Kelowna