Vancouver's police chief announced Monday that officers will not force homeless people to shelters during extreme cold weather, despite a new provincial law that permits them to do so.
The Assistance to Shelter Act is expected to take effect this week. It allows officers to use reasonable force to transport a homeless person to a shelter if that officer feels a homeless person's health is at risk.
But Vancouver Police Chief Constable Jim Chu said Monday that the department has decided not to use force in those situations.
"In the rare case that we encounter someone who does not want shelter, we will offer our regular assistance which includes blankets and warm clothing," he said in a statement.
"If these steps are not successful, and our officer believes that there is a risk of imminent serious injury or death, we will offer further assistance in the form of minimal non-forceful touching equivalent to the supporting hand one would use in helping an elderly person cross the street."
If the homeless person still refuses help, the officer will "withdraw the contact immediately," and "will continue to explore other tactics to ensure the person survives the extreme weather safely," Chu said.
The new law has come under attack from some homeless advocates and watchdog groups. They claim the new law tramples on homeless people's civil rights and is a veiled attempt at cleaning up Vancouver's streets before the Olympic Games.
Housing Minister Rich Coleman has denied those allegations.
He said the legislation is intended to give police tools to help save lives.
Last winter, a Vancouver homeless woman burned to death in a fire that she had started in an attempt to keep warm.
The woman, known as Tracy, refused to be taken to a shelter.
