A designated encampment is getting ready to open in Dartmouth and community members are expressing concern – mainly about security.

Councillor Tony Mancini hosted a meeting Wednesday night involving representatives from different residential buildings and the business community to talk about the new site getting prepped for the unhoused.

It is on Bancroft Drive and Marketplace Drive and is surrounded by residential buildings, condos and apartments as well as numerous businesses.

Mancini says during the meeting, there was a lot of emotion in the room and things got heated at times.

To feel safer, residents have asked for 24/7 security.

Mancini tells us he agrees with them and city staff have recommended a civilian-led enforcement team that would work around the clock.

It would be made up of professionals like social workers, street navigators, and people who work in mental health and addiction.

Only, it could cost $4 million.

“And my concern with that type of team is that we’re now stepping way over into the provincial responsibility when it comes to health care, which is definitely not the municipality. Is there something else that we can look at from a security point of view? You know, there’s lots of requests with HRP to go into that area, and we’ve had conversations about having organized patrols going in and out of that on a regular basis. So, all those things are on the table.”

Mancini says the question is, what do they all cost and who pays for them.

He says they haven’t heard back from the province just yet, but if they don’t help with the money required, then they may have to take another look at other projects that are scheduled.

Need a plan

A meeting is scheduled with police, the superintendent, the east divisional commander and city staff to discuss their involvement.

He says that police need a plan but don’t have one yet because they don’t know how many tents are going to be on site.

“I think, though, they still need that enforcement element to it be in police because, you know, most of these issues, any of the issues that do occur in some of these encampments, are happening in wee hours in the morning. And so I do think it’d be safer. I think it would be even safer if there were some element of authority when it comes to enforcement.”

Mancini says they will hopefully have more information in the next couple of weeks.

The municipality also recently created a code of conduct for people living in encampments and those around them.