Safe Streets Act Case Study

In 1999 Ontario implemented a legislation called the Safe Streets Act (SSA). This legislation prohibited “aggressive panhandling”, solicitation of captive audience and unsafe disposal of needles, condoms and broken glass. (O’Grady, Gaetz and Buccieri 2013) In this paper, I argue that the SSA exacerbates the problem of youth homelessness by creating barriers against integration into mainstream society. These barriers are created through economic sanctions and processes of criminalization. Furthermore, I argue that this legislative response is made possible due to the neoliberal context in western democracies and increase in globalization. Under neoliberal ideologies, youth are a population to be managed instead of helped. Furthuremore, due to

(2013) quantitatively examined the trends of tickets issued under the SSA in Toronto, Ontario. Data from the year 2000 to 2010 provided by the Toronto Police Service (TPS) was examined. The results revealed that there was a 2000% increase in the number of citations issued under the SSA from the year 2000 to 2010. Furthermore, the overall number of youths that received citations under the SSA also increased since the year 2000. Interestingly, most of the fines issued were never paid, which resulted in inability to renew driver’s license, poor credit score, and/or imprisonment. O’Grady et al. (2013) test whether the results can be explained by increased levels of crime, increase in the homeless or aggressive solicitation population, increase in complaints from businesses or public, as a response to gangs or driven by motive for revenue generation. However, none of these explanations could explain the increase in

(2013) found that the number of youth receiving citations under SSA increased. Moreover, these youths were not likely to pay of these tickets. As a result, they were punished through inability to renew driver’s license, negative effects on credit score and/or jail time. Without valid government identification such as drivers license, access to many things becomes difficult. For example, you need identification to apply for welfare, open a bank account or even buy things like alcohol. to Poor credit scores would hinder access to services most Canadians take for granted, such as cellphone service. Lastly, time in jail would hinder prospects of future