How to Solve Downtown Disorder? Start with Three Hours in
the Tank
By Jim Taylor | Voice of Nanaimo
At the July 16 City Council Committee
meeting, a citizen dared to speak up—respectfully—during Mayor Krog’s meeting.
In an astonishing display of efficiency, two RCMP officers already in the room
moved quickly to arrest the man for “causing a disturbance.” He was handcuffed
and taken away, spending three hours in a holding cell. No charges were laid.
Presumably, the point had been made: Speak out at your own risk.
But maybe we’re looking at this all wrong. Maybe—just maybe—this little drama
offered a blueprint for restoring order in downtown Nanaimo.
Here's the Plan:
Take that same decisive action.
Apply it where it’s actually needed.
No new laws. No court backlog. Just existing powers applied with equal resolve.
1.
Assign two officers and a van
to areas plagued by street disorder—Victoria Crescent, Diana Krall Plaza,
Wesley Street, wherever drug-dealing and chaos take root.
2.
When an individual is found openly
using hard drugs, dealing, or causing a disruptive public scene, detain them
for three hours. No court case, no revolving door. Just a temporary disruption
to their routine.
3.
Release. Repeat. Relentlessly.
Why It Could Work
Three hours in a cell may not sound like
much. But for someone caught in a chaotic, addiction-fueled lifestyle, it could
mean a moment of rest, a window for intervention, even a reminder that actions
have consequences. It could also help restore a sense of public safety that has
all but vanished in our downtown core.
Even the local homeless—many of whom are not criminals—might begin to reassess.
Maybe it prompts some to reconnect with family or services. Maybe it interrupts
a cycle. Maybe it doesn’t. But we’ll never know unless we try something other
than continued enablement.
This isn’t about cruelty. It’s about consequences. It’s about protecting the
law-abiding public, the downtown business community, and yes—even those caught
in addiction—from the false compassion of no action at all.
A Simple Deterrent
What happens when there are no
consequences? Disorder escalates. The current message Nanaimo sends is clear:
you can pitch a tent, use hard drugs in public, and intimidate passersby with
zero fear of intervention. That message must change.
So here’s a new one:
Three hours in a cell, no questions asked. Next time, maybe think twice.
Apply it consistently. Watch the street-level chaos diminish. If it was good
enough for a quiet man who spoke a few words at a council meeting, surely it's
good enough for those lighting up fentanyl in broad daylight.
Some will scoff. Others will label this harsh. But here’s what it really is:
Practical. Proportionate. And entirely possible—today.
No legislative overhaul. No funding maze. Just political will and a return to
basic civic responsibility.
I think this is a great idea!
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