Pubdate: Fri, 28 Apr 2006
Source: Daily Herald-Tribune, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2006 The Daily Herald-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/804

TAKING BACK THE DOWNTOWN

Groups Have To Continue To Work Together At It

It must have seemed like deja vu all over again for some of those who  
attended a community conversation cafe Tuesday in the city to discuss  
the problems of drug use, drug dealers and prostitution in the  
downtown area.

While it was a different part of the downtown this time around -  
about a block or so north -- the conversation centred around the same  
general problems that were associated with Germain Park until,  
ultimately, a decision was made to flatten the park.

That decision by the city effectively eliminated the hiding places  
that RCMP blamed for a great extent of the problems, which included  
an alarming increase in beatings and muggings.

Well, it at least seems to have eliminated some of the violent crimes  
anyway.

Everything else, according to many business owners at Tuesday's  
meeting, seems to have simply moved to another location where it is  
now somebody else's problem.

Now those business owners to the north of 100 Avenue and in the  
vicinity of 99 Street, give or take a half a block, are having to put  
up with prostitutes and drug dealers patrolling their sidewalks.

And just like those business owners behind the drive to have  
something done about Germain Park, they want something done about it.

Tuesday's three-hour meeting -- a full one hour longer than scheduled  
- -- ended up being a productive session that produced several good  
ideas, along with, perhaps, a couple not so good ones.

Among the better ideas were increased patrol and security of the  
area, more homeless shelters (which are on the way) and lobbying for  
forced drug treatment centres and legislation.

One idea that smacked of perhaps not being in the best interest of  
the community was pushing the problem elsewhere once again -  
otherwise known as the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) approach. That's  
already been done once - whether it was the intended result or not --  
and doesn't have anything to do with a long-term solution for Grande  
Prairie.

The idea of playing incessant classical music, while interesting to  
think about, wouldn't likely net too many results either other than  
ongoing acts of violence against strategically-placed speakers in the  
area.

Speaking on behalf of the local RCMP, Insp. Arlen Miller did vow to  
increase the RCMP presence in the area, including making a point of  
taking a few more coffee and lunch breaks in the downtown area himself.

The problem, of course, is not new to the DownTown Association and  
manager Helen Rice, also a city aldermen, reported the association  
had already hired a security company to do more patrolling of the area.

So it seems that most everyone, once again, agrees that a workable  
solution can be found.

It can't be a perfect solution, of course, because we don't live in a  
perfect world.

The best answer to the problem likely lies in a combination of  
helping those who can use and want the help, and dealing swiftly for  
those who refuse to take it.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.
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MAP posted-by: Jackl