Security before justice

Security Before Justice A study of the impacts of private security on homeless and under-housed Vancouver residents Security, the chief pretence of civilization, cannot exist where the worst of dangers, the danger of poverty, hangs over everyone’s head. [...] These focus groups were held at the offices of two non-profit organizations, both of which offer low- in the summer of 2007, people from the barrier services to homeless or under-housed residents.10 Focus Downtown eastside were recruited to group participants were asked about their understanding of the powers and responsibilities of private security guards, the places complete a survey about their [...] The major difference between the power of arrest of the public police and a security guard is that the public police have much Security guards, by and large, draw their legal power from more leeway in terms of arresting an individual based on “reason- three sources: general provisions in the Criminal Code which able and probable grounds” that the person committed an confer on all citizens the powe [...] While the power to search and seize While the power to search and seize property property is generally limited to the public police, security guards can engage in searches as a condition of entry onto private prop- is generally limited to the public police… erty. [...] The VPU is asking that the City’s decision to fund the plan be set aside on the grounds that city council is using On at least two occasions, VPD members attending at tax dollars to fund a private security company to deliver services incidents that I was working provided me with the legal that would normally be delivered by the Vancouver Police names of the individuals involved in those incidents.