They may be few and far between in this community, but panhandlers are not about to get the bum's rush in Westmount.
Station 12 police Commander Stéphane Plourde appeared at last Monday's city council meeting to announce that the "one or two" panhandlers around Sherbrooke and Victoria Avenue will not be asked to leave by Public Security or police.
"Last week we met with Richard Blondin of Public Security and had our first meeting on that problem," Plourde said. "Basically, we both agreed that we won't get tough on those guys."
Instead, he said, police plan to call in social workers to see what can be done to get the vagrants back on their feet and off the street.
Plourde had been invited to last Monday's meeting by city council to comment on the panhandling situation following complaints by some residents that it was becoming more of a problem in the Victoria village area.
Police, PSOs take a soft stand on vagrancy
- Number of views : 1597
- Rate
- Top of the page