On May 23, 2019 a broad alliance of groups and individuals issued a joint letter to BC’s Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General, urging him not to pass Bill 13 – the Community Safety Amendment Act – and not to bring 2013’s Community Safety Act into force.
The signatories are deeply troubled by the legislation, which will allow neighbours to report their suspicions about specified activities to government, triggering a process that can result in a court order that people vacate a property. The signatories to the letter fear that the Community Safety Act will provide a major disincentive to British Columbians to provide support and shelter to their friends and family who may be struggling with addiction or have recently been released from incarceration. In other jurisdictions with have similar laws, the legislation has been used to target entire households in which all members are law-abiding except for one.
