Community groups fear G20 impact on homeless and other vulnerable people
Date
September 12, 2014
Community groups will meet in Brisbane next to discuss concerns over the G20 summit's impact on the homeless, the mentally ill and other vulnerable people.
The issue was raised at a Westender newspaper community forum at West End this week by Joan Beavis from the West End Uniting Church, who raised the concerns with the two senior Queensland police in charge of the G20 Taskforce – Assistant Commissioner Katarina Carroll and Deputy Commissioner Ross Barnett.
Ms Beavis said vulnerable people who might be "having an episode" could be incorrectly assumed to be dangerous.
"Some of our people will get very, very agitated by helicopters, especially someone who's been in Vietnam or another war," she said.
"Is there going to be some sort of provision whereby those people have a scaffolding around them so they're not inadvertently caught up in these protective powers?"
In response, Ms Carroll said "the last thing" police wanted was for the vulnerable to be mixed up in the security operation.
That was also the concern of the Queensland Council of Social Service, which will host a next Wednesday's meeting.
QCOSS chief executive Mark Henley said the worst case scenario was somebody wandering up to a restricted area and being unable to explain him or herself properly.
"We don't want people to be arrested when they are not familiar with this new environment," he said.
"It'll be unfamiliar territory for a number of people, the G20, and not all people will have access to the communication that will be distributed, whether that's through reading newspapers, websites or hearing it on the television or radio."
Caxton Legal Centre director Scott McDougall said his organisation was one of the groups that would be speaking with QCOSS and others next week.
"There's going to be an effort to try to identify the potential places where people who are vulnerable may be impacted the most and to try to engage with police to identify what can be done beforehand to prevent that," he said.
Councillor Helen Abrahams, whose Gabba ward takes in G20 venue the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, said local volunteer and community groups were "liquid gold" for agencies to gather information about people who may be at risk.
"Council will be using it, the police will be using it, so will Micah, Murri Watch, Reclink, all of those services will be involved to assist as much as possible and support the community," she said.
In a statement, a Queensland Police spokeswoman said its G20 external engagement team was liaising with community groups to ensure homeless people still had access to services.
"Homeless people are residents of Brisbane, and are not considered a threat to G20 security," she said.
"The QPS has no intention to forcibly remove anyone, homeless or otherwise, who live in the declared area, with the exception of people who appear on the prohibited persons list.
"Restricted hotels and event venues will only be accessible to people with accreditation from the Commonwealth government.
"It is always our priority to look after our vulnerable people and make sure they are protected.
"We will ensure that officers who are deployed to Brisbane for G20 are aware of the relevant Brisbane-based community groups and peak bodies who support our homeless population. "
Ms Carroll told this week's public forum that, at that stage, there was not a single person on that prohibited persons list.
Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/community-groups-fear-g20-impact-on-homeless-and-other-vulnerable-people-20140911-10foh3.html#ixzz3D2eXBVlm
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