By Kendall Worth!
Dear Halifax Regional Council and Mayor;
My name is Kendall Worth and as you likely already know I once was a journalist/reporter for the Nova Scotia Advocate until the passing of the owner and editor Robrrt DeVet. Now I have my own blog called Journalism for What Matters. I write about issues that affect people-living-in-poverty, in Nova Scotia. A large number of those people, who I consider myself an advocate for, especially through my writing, live right here in Halifax Regional Municipality. I am writing this letter primarily because many people asked me to write about it. This open letter addresses the mental health concerns that Halifax Regional Police officers are causing by patrolling grocery stores.
Many of the people I advocate for are poor and receive their income from The Employment Support and Income Assistance program (ESIA) through the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services. In addition, many also suffer from mental health issues, and invisible disabilities. As I am sure you are aware, most recipients are single and alone, and they are entitled to only $950.00/mo. from ESIA, which, after rent and bills are paid, leaves nothing, or next to nothing, to live on.
Things like increasing the Income Assistance Rates, and creating affordable housing, are provincial government responsibilities. Basic income would likely fall to the federal government. Today I am writing to you about another issue the community believes is the responsibility of Halifax Regional Municipality.
Over these past 4 months or so, there have been Halifax Regional Police Officers patrolling Atlantic SuperStore locations in Halifax. Here is an article https://worthmatters.blogspot.com/2022/08/cops-patrolling-superstore.html I wrote about this a couple of months ago. As this article points out, even though people on Income Assistance do not have enough to live on, and they use food banks, they still have to go to grocery stores, and it is their right to shop for food! They also have specific reasons like:
They have dietary needs, pointed out in articles here and here. These items are not usually available at food banks and soup kitchens.
Some get their prescriptions filled from pharmacies that are located inside Grocery Stores.
Lately, I have been hearing concerns from the community of people-I-advocate-for including two homeless people. They are concerned about this practice of uniformed police officers patrolling grocery stores here in Halifax. They, like everyone else, have to visit grocery stores to get things they need – it is not optional! Not everything can be found at food banks and soup kitchens especially if you have special dietary needs. The two un-housed folks told me they get $380.00 personal allowance from Department of Community Services and they have to go to Grocery Stores, because these 2 homeless people have dietary needs that cannot be filled elsewhere. Everyone living in poverty is concerned about this practice as I talk about in this article.
My main purpose in writing this letter is to draw to your attention what I have been hearing about people getting approached by police. On Income cheque day on August 29th, and more recently on Sept. 27th individuals were approached by officers. One officer spoke to a person about their fidgety behaviour, and getting complaints from other shoppers that they were being stared at. This would not happen if the police were not patrolling Superstore on cheque day. I previously wrote about this issue of people’s “behaviour” being policed. Other people in my community are saying, If police are going to patrol grocery stores, they should not be wearing their regular uniforms, and carrying their guns and handcuffs.
People are suggesting they should be wearing a different kind of uniform, and not carrying that equipment while patrolling any store, for that matter.
The community of people I advocate for are asking the city to take action to address this matter. This issue of Police patrolling grocery stores has been Increasing the anxiety people living in poverty already suffer.
I myself and the Poverty/Mental Health Community looks forward to any response or feedback, with detail on any action the City can take on this matter.
Your Truly!
Kendall Worth
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