A Comment from Cindy Forster, former NDP MPP for the Niagara, Ontario Riding of Niagara Centre
Posted December 17th, 2022 on Niagara At Large
Cindy Forster, former NDP MPP for Riding of Niagara Centre and former mayor of Welland
(A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – The following comment by former Niagara Centre MPP Cindy Forster was shared by her on Niagara At Large’s Facebook page in response to stories posted here and in The St. Catharines Standard this December 16th by David Eke, a Ford government appointed member of the Niagara Regional Police Services Board, who floated the idea to the police board that homeless people believed to be suffering from mental illness should be locked up or institutionalized.
Due to Cindy Forster’s long-time stature in the Niagara community, both as a provincial member of the legislature and as a health care nurse, Niagara At Large is re-posting her comment here.)
This suggestion of Dave Eke (Co-Chair of the Niagara Regional Services Police Board) is totally unacceptable and deeply disturbing to me for to those hundreds of thousands of people awaiting mental health services many of which are homeless because they cannot access the care they need.
It was the PCs party who appointed him (David Eke to the Niagara Regional Police Services Board) that closed inpatient mental health facilities without implementing an significant out-patient community based service to meet the mental health needs of this population nor the growing need each and every year.
First and foremost, (people who arehomeless) they need housing with mental health and social services supports before they can ever get a job, a drivers licence, a health card.
The dollars that could be saved in policing, corrections, and hospital ER visits alone would go a long way to safe housing for the homeless.
NRP Board Doug Ford Appointee David Eke suggests intitutionalization for homeless people
Dave Eke has got to retract and apologize for these comments and volunteer many hours somewhere to understand the needs of so many in our region.
He should get this already having sat for so many years at the region.
And a think about resigning might well be in order!
(Cindy Forster is a Niagara, Ontario resident and former NDP MPP for the Riding of Niagara Centre., former mayor of Welland and health care nurse.)
To read the news commentary on Niagara At Large that Cindy Forster was responding too,click on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2022/12/16/heartless-jerk-on-niagaras-police-board-calls-for-locking-up-homeless-people/
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Wouldn’t be surprised if Eke doesn’t suggest that all homeless individuals should be convinced to decide in favour of medically assisted suicide — problem solved!
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