Pubdate: Sun, 08 Jan 2006
Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2006 The Calgary Sun
Contact:  http://www.calgarysun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67
Author: Michael Platt

REAL ISSUE FALLS THROUGH CRACK

Downtown Only Scary When Citizens Believe There's No One There To Protect Them

Some lucky downtown workers enjoy a view of the river from their offices.

A fortunate few can admire the mountains just by glancing up from their desks.

But not me. Looking out the window from the Sun's office in city 
hall, I see crack -- lots and lots of crack.

Having an office that stares directly into the East Village's 
notorious "crack cul-de-sac" gives me a unique perspective on the 
latest issue brewing at city hall, where aldermen are seeking new 
bylaws to sanitize downtown of crime, grime and creeps.

Our politicians worry that public dread of downtown is on the rise, 
and ordinary citizens are starting to view the core as a place where 
violence and harassment awaits.

Fearing that people will soon avoid downtown, city council is on the 
verge of writing a new law-book to curb a whole gamut of anti-social 
behaviour, from fighting to public urination, to blocking sidewalks 
while begging for change.

Meanwhile, just behind city hall, drug dealers are selling crack to 
addicts, who often smoke it openly on the sidewalk.

In all of 2005 (and so far in '06) I've never once witnessed a police 
car cruising the streets around the St. Louis Hotel, ready to use 
already-existing laws to bust a few drug-dealing scum.

You couldn't kick a soccerball down the cul-de-sac without hitting 
some weasel with a bag full of rock for sale, yet the police are as 
absent as hope and good dental hygiene.

You can probably see where this is going.

Why pass new laws, when the laws we have aren't being used?

It's a question being asked by some aldermen, including Ric McIver, 
who believes extra enforcement will do a lot more than writing a 
bunch of new laws.

The pen is mighty, but you can't handcuff drug dealers with a Parker or a Bic.

Of course, the whole debate rests on the notion downtown is 
dangerous, which, other than certain seedy sections of the East 
Village, is a difficult one to support.

Is our downtown small-town safe? No -- but at close to a million 
people, it remains a haven for those who appreciate a night-time 
stroll without being mugged.

Random attacks are thankfully rare in this city. There are 
well-publicized exceptions, but most Calgarians enjoy a life free of 
violence, and that includes the thousands who use downtown and the 
inner city on a daily and nightly basis.

If city council wants to pass new laws aimed at improving the image 
of downtown, it might look at more mundane rules, to rid our streets 
of the things which really do upset people.

Take spitting.

Calgary has no bylaw preventing this revolting habit, which turns 
stomachs more than public urination, and is far more common.

At least your typical full-bladdered miscreant finds a discreet 
stairwell or alley in which to relieve the pressure: Spitters simply 
hawk a loogie when the urge hits them.

Then there's panhandling, which is frequently cited as a key cause of 
public nervousness downtown.

It's true begging can be an intimidating nuisance, but targeting a 
desperate-for-cash pan-

handler with fines is pointless, which is probably why existing laws 
aren't enforced.

Instead, city council should pass a bylaw making it illegal to give 
money to panhandlers, then threaten hefty fines for the fools who 
encourage begging with their spare quarters.

Of course, there's no point in passing any bylaw if police aren't 
willing or able to enforce them, which seems to be the case for drug 
dealing and crack smoking in the East Village.

There's an aura of anarchy and danger in the village, despite dozens 
of existing laws against drug-dealing and public intoxication.

It should serve as an example of why enforcement is essential.

Instead of wasting time on additional rules, city council should 
review the laws that are already in place, and then ask what can be 
done to ensure they are upheld.

Downtown is only scary when citizens believe there is no one around 
to protect them, and every perceived problem in our core -- other 
than spitting -- can be easily taken care of with more police on the street.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman