A group of citizens is taking down homeless camps in Maple Ridge, hauling tents and other materials to the dump, and metal 乌鸦传媒� including bike parts 乌鸦传媒� to the recycling depot.
Jamie Seip speaks for the group. He spoke last spring during the public protests of the low-barrier supportive housing shelter on Burnett Street. That housing complex just opened Tuesday.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e not displacing anybody,乌鸦传媒� Seip said. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e cleaning up messes left behind. If it乌鸦传媒檚 unoccupied, it乌鸦传媒檚 gone.乌鸦传媒�
Seip said they have cleaned up four tons of trash in six days, and noted 乌鸦传媒渋t乌鸦传媒檚 all out of pocket, and it乌鸦传媒檚 all on our own time.乌鸦传媒�
Seip maintains they are taking action where police and bylaws cannot.
乌鸦传媒淕overnments tend to over-complicate things,乌鸦传媒� said Seip.
乌鸦传媒淚f the government did what we are doing, it would cost $300,000 for the pilot year.乌鸦传媒�
They are not being heartless, said Seip, and explained he gave a homeless girl who had been stranded in Maple Ridge a ride back to her home town of Chilliwack. He drove another person to Port Coquitlam.
There have been no altercations. He has checked with RCMP and bylaws and has not been told to cease and desist, he added.
乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檝e had RCMP and bylaws literally high-fiving us,乌鸦传媒� said Seip.
There have been a lot of positive and encouraging comments about the group乌鸦传媒檚 work posted in social media.
The group checks the sites they have 乌鸦传媒渃leared,乌鸦传媒� which include a vacant lot on 228th Street, and a wooded area of 232nd Street and another near Glenwood elementary school, near Laity Street and 121st Avenue.
Chris Bossley, who was an advocate for the homeless people living at the Anita Place Tent City, has asked police to investigate.
乌鸦传媒淭his ridiculous activity against people who are homeless is unacceptable as far as I乌鸦传媒檓 concerned,乌鸦传媒� she said.
乌鸦传媒淏asically what they are doing is tearing down people乌鸦传媒檚 homes 乌鸦传媒ξ谘淮綕
Other detractors have called the group乌鸦传媒檚 actions vigilantism and cruel in their social media posts. Bossley has complained to Ridge Meadows RCMP.
Police said they have no comment at this time.
Bossley said she would be at the Tuesday night meeting of Maple Ridge council to bring the matter to the city乌鸦传媒檚 attention.
She fears the group乌鸦传媒檚 activities will lead to violent confrontations.
乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 understand how people can take the law into their own hands, and there are no consequences,乌鸦传媒� said Bossley. 乌鸦传媒淭his has to be nipped in the bud.乌鸦传媒�
If there is violence, it will not come from his group, said Seip.
乌鸦传媒淲e are not going to hurt a soul,乌鸦传媒� he said, adding the goal is to 乌鸦传媒淥ne block at a time, make it a little better.乌鸦传媒�
@NeilCorbett18
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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