Pubdate: Sat, 08 Sep 2007 Source: Calgary Herald (CN AB) Copyright: 2007 Calgary Herald Contact: http://www.canada.com/calgary/calgaryherald/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/66 GROWING FEARS IN THE INNER-CITY Until Root Causes Are Dealt With, Symptoms Will Override Solutions If perception is reality, then downtown is unsafe. The increasing number of vagrants, drug users and street gangs operating in the core has become so visible, it can no longer be ignored. Add to that a recent move by some inner-city businesses to increase security for their staff and customers, and one must ask what is going on down there? Rest assured, Calgary is still a safe city. According to police, crime in the last year has actually fallen in the downtown core, including the notoriously rough Beltline area. That's in keeping with a general downward trend over the last several years. Cold-hearted stats, though, don't erase the fact there are still serious issues which must be addressed. But until the root causes of the broad societal problems underlying much of the anxiety and fear are dealt with, the city will continue to spend money policing symptoms instead of searching out a more permanent solution involving the entire community. Zero tolerance needs to be applied to serious criminals -- gang members and others involved in the drug trade or convicted of violent crimes. They deserve to be put behind bars. At the same time, Calgary must not simply turn a blind eye to the increasing poverty dividing the city into the rich and the poor. We can't expect that a police presence will make the homeless and other people down on their luck magically disappear. At best, it will just push those most vulnerable, who themselves are preyed upon, into less visible neighbourhoods. "I can't overemphasize enough that homelessness isn't a crime. Homeless individuals are victimized in our downtown core," District One Insp. Bob Ritchie told the Herald. Ritchie is responsible for downtown policing, including the Special Duties team introduced last year as part of the city's Clean to the Core program. He believes the biggest contributors to the deteriorating atmosphere are the drug trade, and the booming economy -- which feeds the drug trade and has created a housing crisis. There is no denying it has been a particularly violent summer, with numerous stabbings, shootings and street fights. There were eight suspicious deaths in nine days, a gang shootout and a videotaped savage beating of a man outside a homeless shelter. Businesses are justifiably concerned. By taking smart precautions, they're contributing to the solution, and watching out for the safety of others. Sport Swap on 11 Avenue in the Beltline has adopted a buddy system for its employees, asking them to leave in pairs at the end of their shifts. Other companies such as BP Canada Energy Co. issued a memo to employees warning them of where and when it's safe to walk downtown. Certainly, a more visible presence of uniformed police officers will deter some of the drug activity plaguing downtown. That can be achieved by redeploying resources or simply getting staffing levels up to full capacity. District One, for example, is short 14 of its 175 complement of officers. Still, police cannot be expected to bear the responsibility alone, nor can they solve deeper issues such as addictions, mental health and poverty. Council would be wise to examine the larger picture when debating Mayor Dave Bronconnier's motion for more police officers downtown, expected to be brought forward on Monday. The $5 million the mayor wants approved to hire 10 more police officers and 25 bylaw enforcers might be more effective if spent on permanent solutions to end homelessness. That goal is growing closer with the development of a 10-year-plan soon to be released by the Calgary Committee to End Homelessness. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom