Victoria Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe is worried provincial legislation that will allow police to take homeless people to shelters against their will could make the city a dumping ground for the region's police.

Thornton-Joe said there have already been situations where police from other jurisdictions where there are no shelters have been dropping off homeless at Victoria shelters.

"If a police officer brings someone to a shelter and there's no shelter space, what happens?" Thornton-Joe said. "I think there are lots of gaps in the actual act."

She said people brought in could wind up wandering the streets of downtown Victoria, with nowhere to go.

"What are we to do unless other municipalities are willing to open up a shelter space? I have concerns with municipalities taking this act and bringing more people, which definitely we support with housing, to our downtown," she said.

Last week, the provincial government passed the Assistance to Shelter Act, giving police the power to forcibly transport homeless people to shelters during extreme weather, when communities open extra shelter beds. The law does not force anyone to stay at a shelter if he or she chooses to leave.

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin acknowledged the legislation comes from a sense of compassion, but said its application will have difficulties.

Fortin said it would make more sense for the police to be able to call a mobile outreach team who talk to the individual and attend to needs.

"So that way, the police are not wrapped up in doing the social work," Fortin said.

At the request of Coun. Philippe Lucas, city council agreed to send a letter to the province expressing concerns about the legislation, noting that police already have authority to apprehend citizens in mental distress under the Mental Health Act and to take them to a health-care provider.

Greater Victoria has about 1,500 homeless people and about 400 emergency shelter beds during extreme weather.

The shelters were never filled to capacity during the 57 times they were opened in Victoria last winter.