A shift in focus for the Inquest looking into the death of Gloria Assin.
Testimony Wednesday is focusing less on the 42-year-old Grassy Narrows woman and more on the services available in Kenora for people who are intoxicated and homeless.
Patti Fairfield from the NeChee Friendship Center admits since they shifted the Emergency Shelter to the Health Unit offices, they have been forced to reduce the hours of their Street Patrol.
Instead of operating for 14 hours a day, they are on duty only from 6pm to 10pm daily.
She adds the managed alcohol program seems to have put an increased burden on the Emergency Shelter.
Fairfield says the number of beds at the detox location has been reduced from 20 to just 10 and over the last three or four months, with Provincial Police bringing more intoxicated people in.
She notes their staff aren’t really trained to deal with these people and says there is a safety concern.
Fairfield stresses ideally there should be increased communication between NeChee, the police and other social service agencies in the community, to improve access to services for the intoxicated and homeless.