A 91原创 City senior fed up with crime and open drug use, prostitution and unsavoury activities happening in her town has submitted a 500-signature petition to city hall asking for change.
And she said residents are clamouring to sign more petitions, said Betty (not her real name).
鈥淚鈥檓 not an activist. I鈥檓 a concerned citizen. But when I started bringing this petition around to stratas and businesses, it was like I took a cork off Mt. St. Helen鈥檚,鈥� she said.
The group, now called Concerned 91原创 Citizens For Safety, only started collecting signatures three weeks ago.
鈥淓verybody has a story to tell us about what they鈥檝e seen or what is going on. Our parks and playgrounds are no longer safe.鈥�
She has heard stories of parents walking into the Douglas Park bathroom with their child, only to see a person shooting up.
A woman was witnessed naked, giving herself a full sponge bath in the 91原创 City library washroom, she claims.
She has also handed in letters from local, established businesses like banks, that have experienced many issues around homeless people sleeping and defecating on their properties.
One bank had to close its ATM after hours and another had to add security staff.
Open drug dealing is also an issue all over town, she said.
The group has met with acting mayor Ted Schaffer and City manager Francis Cheung, but nothing was accomplished so far, Betty said.
She questions the amount of social services concentrated in the downtown core, from welfare and the food bank, to social service agencies of all kinds.
鈥淚t just seems to me that the left hand doesn鈥檛 know what the right hand is doing. All these services need to work together. Group these service providers together so they can work collectively,鈥� she suggests.
While she is frustrated with the number of homeless people and shopping carts, the group wants to see help and dignity for those living on the streets.
鈥淭hey need a safe place to go and have a shower. That is clearly needed sooner rather than later,鈥� she said.
鈥淲e as citizens need to take responsibility too,鈥� she notes.
She hopes stratas will take advantage of the upcoming Block Watch seminar.
Signatures are still being gathered and will be handed into city hall again.
In the meantime, Schaffer has said the City has reacted to crime problems by adding two on-call reserve police officers and a bylaw officer on weekend evenings. It has instituted surveillance footage at Innes Corner, another open drug dealing spot.
Schaffer laments the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Canada鈥檚 constitution as a major stumbling block to cleaning up crime. The justice system has created a catch-and-release cycle, he said.
