Community members reject a safe injection site in Kensington, two Mayoral and one district council hopeful are for them
I was recently at the Latino Mayoral forum hosted by Impacto Media, Esperanza, and Univision. I was dismayed by many of the candidates’ surface-level responses to the thoughtful questions the moderators asked them around education, crime, affordable housing, and a myriad of other important issues to our community.
Several candidates reduced the community to a two-dimensional culture based on our language and music, but what the crowd present responded the most passionately about was whether the candidates for mayor supported what is known as a safe injection site.
The question was posed as a yes or no on the subject and several candidates including Cherelle Parker; responded with an unequivocal “N-O! NO!” which members of the audience cheered for in an agreement.
Two candidates consisting of Helen Gym and Rebecca Rhynhart attempted to dodge the issue by refusing to answer “yes or no” causing loud opposition from the crowd in attendance.
Gym particularly has taken a position that the city needs this intervention. This inability to listen to residents when they feel so strongly about an issue reflects on these two candidates disconnect from working black and brown people.
Also in the crowd was Andres Celin, a candidate running against incumbent 7th District Councilwoman Quetcy Lozada; Mr. Celin also backs the use of safe injection sites in Kensington according to 33rd Ward Leader Marnie Aument Loughrey who pressed Celin on the issue at the Democratic policy committee meeting where he sought the Democratic party endorsement said, “Celin answered in support of safe injection sites.” This was corroborated by 18th Ward leader Lauren Renaldi who convened the meeting.
The residents of Kensington have long dealt with the presence of narcotics in the community; as far back as the 1980’s residents have seen the effects of drug abuse and drug-related violence. By 2015 Kensington was improving, and community investments and a police enforcement strategy kept the area under some control; this all changed with the election of Jim Kenney who’s administration pushed for the placement of a safe injection site in Kensington and other neighborhoods.
Community residents have consistently rejected the placement of safe injection sites because it’s a racist and classist policy that contains people in substance abuse into a poor black and brown neighborhood. Safe injection sites are billed as the solution to open-air consumption of opioids when the problem is far more complex than one approach.
Each mayoral administration after another has failed to listen to the actual needs of Kensington residents.
If the people of Kensington do not want a safe injection site, their will should be respected. I Helen Gym, Rebecca Rhynhart, and Andres Celin wish to represent the people of Kensington, they should try listening to them instead of adopting policy stances that further damage the fabric of our community.
