Business owners and community leaders say social unrest and crime continue to plague Edmonton downtown, even as more people return to the office to work in person.
The Council’s Public and Public Services Commission began reviewing the new proposed strategy for the safety and well-being of the city on Monday, and more than 20 speakers signed up to share their concerns.
Stacey Zaidi, co-owner of 10 restaurants at the Remedy Cafe in Edmonton, said she was worried about her staff and customers who had been involved in abuse over the past year.
“My employees were spit on. They hit them in the face. There was sexual and ethnic discrimination, “Zaidi told councilors.
Zaidi said staff sometimes have to walk through garbage, human waste and needles to enter the building.
“I really feel like a lot of businesses are alone,” she said. “We are losing our empathy, we are losing our patience and we need help – now.
Pamela Brown, who has worked in safety and security at Edmonton City Center for decades, said she supports the community safety and well-being strategy as a tool to tackle ongoing social disorders that are more obvious than ever.
“Before COVID, the challenges were somewhat masked by the working population,” Brown said. “Because the challenges of crime and riots are so obvious that the working population is afraid to return.”
Brown suggested that residents, businesses and workers need to feel more secure, and customers who use the mall as a hub need more space, such as shelter during the day.
“In my 40 years, I’ve never seen downtown Edmonton in such dire straits,” Brown said. “Please act now.”
Ten business cases
The city’s strategy outlines ten initiatives that require immediate funding, including $ 1.5 million in micro-grants for businesses and community groups.
Andre Corbold, city manager, said a $ 8.4 million pool available from the Edmonton Police Department budget could be used for initiatives, including $ 1.5 million for an integrated dispatch call center and $ 1 million for a shelter. , led by the local population.
Punita McBrian, executive director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, said microgrants are needed, but only get there.
The DBA is developing a new program for security ambassadors, she said, which she says will require $ 150,000 to $ 200,000 in the first year.
Many businesses are directly affected by serious safety challenges, she told advisers.
“They deserve to feel safe and free to live peacefully and make a living in our center and in our main neighborhoods.
More police
There should be more visible police patrols, she stressed.
“It is absolutely important that law enforcement is part of the decision,” McBrian said. “We cannot protect our outreach workers if we send them ourselves.
In 2020, the council agreed to set up an independent working group to come up with recommendations to improve safety.
Their Safer for All report was published in March 2021 and is included in the collection of reports that make up the overall strategy.
Rob Hall, a member of the task force, spoke at Monday’s meeting and told councilors he saw little progress.
“We have been here for a year and we have very little productivity or implementation of the recommendations that my colleagues and I have made.”
These include building more diverse, inclusive, anti-racist organizations through training and recruitment; investing in public safety facilities such as public toilets and shelters; and the establishment of a new Regulatory College for Police and Peacekeepers.
Councilors will continue to discuss the strategy and funding requirements for Tuesday’s meeting.
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