Demands

Recommendation 3: Implement directives related to the confiscation of belongings from people who rely on public space, which recognize that this practice has continued potential for harmful and discriminatory impacts.

1. In the rare event that belongings must be confiscated, directives should clearly detail how City staff are to protect the rights and dignity of those who are impacted, including rights to procedural fairness.
2. City staff must provide at least 24 hours of advance notice prior to seizure.
3. If someone’s belongings are justifiably confiscated, City staff must provide a receipt that details what was taken, and clear instructions on how to retrieve personal belongings.

Municipal policy on confiscation

Recommendation 8: The City of Vancouver should develop a policy on the confiscation of belongings by City Engineering Workers and police which recognizes the fundamental harms caused by the confiscation of belongings from people who rely on public space. The City should instruct its employees to end the confiscation of the belongings of people who rely on public space, especially necessities of life such as shelter, clothing, medication, and important personal items. When City staff must confiscate personal belongings, the City must provide at least 24 hours of advance notice, and when confiscation is justified, direct staff to issue receipts for belongings and cash, details on retrieval, and clear instructions on how people can get their property back. Any confiscated belongings must be stored in an accessible location within the DTES that people can easily attend.