What can be investigated on the submitted evidence, has been investigated. All of this will form part of our response to the HRC, so hopefully you and your mother's concerns will be laid to rest as part of this process.
If not however, please do continue to engage with us. Regards Justin -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of H Schultz Sent: 20 October 2011 03:58 PM To: The Observatory Neighbourhood watch Subject: Re: FW: [obsnw] Re: Intriguing by line on the cover of Big Issue A third quick edit and clarification. My mother is saying that there are allegations of abuse against the homeless people that must be investigated. The failure to do so is shocking. She is not stating this as a fact or implying liability to VS in anyway. The fact is that no one knows whether it is true or not until proper investigations are made. On Oct 20, 3:53 pm, H Schultz <[email protected]> wrote: > I would also like to ask you Justin what your response to the > allegations in the Big Issue story will be? Have these been > investigated in anyway? > > On Oct 20, 3:45 pm, H Schultz <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > Hi Justin > > > I would just like to say that we do not bear ill-will against those in > > OBSID either. I believe that everyone has the intention of making Obs > > a better and safer place. Unfortunately those good intentions don't > > always translate into best practice. My mother has been trying to > > address these issues for a while. There are two issues here. The first > > is the way in which Veta Schola Polices and the second is the social > > issues comittee. > > > 1) We have submitted evidence to the Human Rights Commission. If you > > like, we can re-submit it to you. I also submit the Big Issue story as > > evidence of abuse. If these allegations turn our to be baseless, no > > one would be happier than I. I would also like to emphasize that I am > > saying that I have heard allegations of abuse that I would like to be > > investigated. I am NOT stating this as fact or making a firm statement > > either way, since that would be incorrect. > > > I would also like to argue that policing to the by-laws is all very > > well, but punishing someone for a crime that they have not committed > > is not on. In the case of the parks, you are preventing people > > (including rate-payers) from freely using municipal facilities on the > > suspicion that a crime might occur. This does not seem right. Now an > > argument for closing the parks at night could well be made, but during > > the day it seems extreme. And the legality of preventing people from > > using municipal facilities when they have not caused a nuisance can be > > debated. > > > Policing bylaws should also not infringe on a person's freedom of > > movement. Since constitutional rights trump by-laws. > > > Would it be possible to get hold of the security brief to Vita > > Schola? > > > 2) The social issues committee. > > > Again I am sure that everyone has great intentions and some good work > > has been done. Since this post is already rather long I would be > > willing to have an offline discussion with you about this. I do have > > numerous concerns. The first is around monitoring and evaluation- this > > appears to be lacking. Without it, the only evidence of success is > > anecdotal. Again some kind of reasoning behind the model that you have > > chosen would be useful. My biggest concern is around confidentiality. > > Some time ago, my mother asked the social issues committee to stop > > naming people in public reports(since confidentiality is one of the > > key principles in mental health work). But you are still naming people > > in the report for OBSID. This violates the principle of > > confidentiality. It worries me that no one seems to understand how > > important a principle it is. > > > Thank you for engaging. > > > Best > > > Would you be > > > On Oct 20, 2:57 pm, "Justin Ashley" <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > Hi Hannah > > > Firstly I want to thank you for your thoughtful and interesting posts. I > > > bear no grudge against your mom. I just wish she would direct her passion > > > into the structures that have been built in Obs to help the homeless instead > > > of going it alone. > > > > Obsid works with closely with a number of organisations in Observatory - the > > > Obs Network of Care, comprising of Obsid, the OCA, the Social Issues Forum, > > > the City Council, and several other NGO's to try to help homeless people > > > with precisely the kind of issues you mention below - mental illness, drug > > > addiction, and so on. We contract two qualified Social workers in as > > > necessary to help: for example, with Colin, who is well known in Obs. > > > > Our Field worker, Kenneth Roman, is on the streets day and night, getting to > > > know the homeless and trying to work out how to help them. Every month he > > > sends through a report - last month he helped 9 people get off the streets! > > > Here are just two stories, direct quote from his report (with names withheld > > > though): > > > > Case 1: Originally from Ottery in Cape Town, He had been a sergeant in the > > > South African police force and in the force for 13 years. Things went > > > downhill for him when he and his wife got divorced. He went on stress leave > > > and did not return to work. He has stayed with family but when he didn’t > > > have any money left he was asked to leave. He was on the streets for two > > > weeks when I placed him at The Ark on the 01/09/2011. > > > > Case 2: Originally from the Northern Cape, She had come to Cape Town for > > > job opportunities but had not found anything. She didn’t know anyone in Cape > > > Town and had no choice but to sleep on the streets. She met other strollers > > > and soon fell into a life of alcoholism. She returned home after her two > > > children along with the father died in a car accident but could no longer > > > get along with family because of her habit and decided to come back to Cape > > > Town where she went back to the streets. She was informed by Observatory > > > residents of how she could get hold of me. She had been on and off the > > > streets for 11 years at the time when I placed her. I have placed her at The > > > Haven Night Shelter Paarl on the 02/09/2011. > > > > These are heartbreaking stories, and I feel very grateful that we can employ > > > someone like Kenneth. We really make a positive difference! > > > > On another issue, I want to emphasise that Vetus Schola does not beat up > > > vagrants. Obsid does not authorise or mandate Vetus Schola to beat up > > > anybody at all. If anyone has any evidence that any employee or contractor > > > of Obsid is beating anybody up, please bring it to me. I will ensure that > > > the event is properly investigated and I will ensure that if found guilty > > > the perpetrator is immediately dismissed, and indeed will assist the victim > > > to lay charges, if the victim so wishes. At Obsid we have zero tolerance to > > > physical abuse. > > > > VS does have a mandate to enforce by laws and maintain order on the streets > > > of Observatory, though, which they do strictly within the law. If they > > > don't, again, please let me know. If there's evidence of wrongdoing, we > > > will act. > > > > Regards > > > Justin > > > Chair: Obsid > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of H > > > > Schultz > > > Sent: 20 October 2011 02:34 PM > > > To: The Observatory Neighbourhood watch > > > Subject: Re: FW: [obsnw] Re: Intriguing by line on the cover of Big Issue > > > > The Big Issue details our allegations of abuse against homeless > > > people. The reporter went around (without being directed by anyone) > > > and found a number of people who had claimed to be beaten up by Veta > > > Schola. Why they were beaten up, I don't know. Obviously someone did > > > not like the look of them (or thought they looked funny). > > > > I'm not an expert on crime prevention, far from it. I think the first > > > step would be to follow the law in all policing efforts, and > > > understand the law in which we operate.Secondly I propose that a clear > > > set of statistics is kept and disseminated. So we know the nature of > > > the beast. I have heard that there is currently a set of figures for > > > crime, but I have not been able to access it. Then we need to look at > > > the stats and see what the triggers for crime are. Then some kind of > > > plan for dealing with them- eg do open windows attract crime? I think > > > the really important thing is that everyone is informed of what the > > > latest situation in Obs is and what they are supposed to do about it. > > > A monthly pamphlet shouldn't be too much work? And everyone does need > > > to know- one thing that most literature agrees on is that ending crime > > > is a community effort. > > > > It is also important to keep abreast of what is happening outside the > > > borders of Observatory- since much of the crime in the suburb is > > > affected by factors outside the suburb (like drug use and hijacking > > > gangs for example). The City of Cape and the Province are doing alot > > > on broad scale policing, and it is very important that Observatory > > > fits in with them. > > > > It is a sad reality that many of the Valkenberg Outpatient's on the > > > street are victims of cracks in the system. There probably isn't a > > > quick cure for that- but I know relocating them to Ceres where they > > > can't get their meds or their grants is immoral. I would suggest that > > > working with all the stakeholders (including Cape Mental Health, the > > > DOH and the Department of Social Development) is probably the best. It > > > is also very important that all interventions comply with the Mental > > > Healthcare Act. > > > > I know this is a bit of a rambling post but I my main point is that a > > > response needs to be evidence based. It is important that we are able > > > to say this is what we're doing and why we're doing it and this is how > > > successful it's been (in numbers). > > > > It is also important that the plan is flexible- that's the whole point > > > of proper monitoring. If something happens, or if an aspect of it is > > > pointed out to be unlawful, then OBSID has to be open to changing it. > > > > I would also like to point out that OBSID has not been transparent in > > > terms of the security plan. My mother has been trying for more than a > > > year to get the security brief to Veta Schola out of them. With that > > > in hand we could see whether a) the intimidation of the homeless was a > > > deliberate strategy or b) a set of transgressions by Security Guards. > > > This is not an unreasonable request. > > > > So please don't think that we are advocates of lawlessness. Far from > > > it. > > > > On Oct 20, 1:12 pm, "Walsh, Carys" <[email protected]> > > ... > > read more » -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/obsnw?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "The Observatory Neighbourhood watch" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. 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