A group of citizens is taking down homeless camps in Maple Ridge, hauling tents and other materials to the dump, and metal B次元官网网址� including bike parts B次元官网网址� 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.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e not displacing anybody,B次元官网网址� Seip said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e cleaning up messes left behind. If itB次元官网网址檚 unoccupied, itB次元官网网址檚 gone.B次元官网网址�
Seip said they have cleaned up four tons of trash in six days, and noted B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 all out of pocket, and itB次元官网网址檚 all on our own time.B次元官网网址�
Seip maintains they are taking action where police and bylaws cannot.
B次元官网网址淕overnments tend to over-complicate things,B次元官网网址� said Seip.
B次元官网网址淚f the government did what we are doing, it would cost $300,000 for the pilot year.B次元官网网址�
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.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e had RCMP and bylaws literally high-fiving us,B次元官网网址� said Seip.
There have been a lot of positive and encouraging comments about the groupB次元官网网址檚 work posted in social media.
The group checks the sites they have B次元官网网址渃leared,B次元官网网址� 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.
B次元官网网址淭his ridiculous activity against people who are homeless is unacceptable as far as IB次元官网网址檓 concerned,B次元官网网址� she said.
B次元官网网址淏asically what they are doing is tearing down peopleB次元官网网址檚 homes B次元官网网址次元官网网址�
Other detractors have called the groupB次元官网网址檚 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 cityB次元官网网址檚 attention.
She fears the groupB次元官网网址檚 activities will lead to violent confrontations.
B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 understand how people can take the law into their own hands, and there are no consequences,B次元官网网址� said Bossley. B次元官网网址淭his has to be nipped in the bud.B次元官网网址�
If there is violence, it will not come from his group, said Seip.
B次元官网网址淲e are not going to hurt a soul,B次元官网网址� he said, adding the goal is to B次元官网网址淥ne block at a time, make it a little better.B次元官网网址�
@NeilCorbett18
ncorbett@mapleridgenews.com
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