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Action needed to fix downtown, forum hears

More policing, more accountability of social services agencies and more government action were some of the suggestions offered at an emergency meeting on downtown crime and social issues hosted Tuesday night by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce.
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Police are continuously dealing with people living on the streets of Prince George like these seen on Third Avenue during a typical downtown morning.

More policing, more accountability of social services agencies and more government action were some of the suggestions offered at an emergency meeting on downtown crime and social issues hosted Tuesday night by the Prince George Chamber of Commerce.

"I call the police and I get put on hold," one longtime downtown business owner said.

"We need more policing, not one or two cops wandering around," added another. "We need 10."

"When we had a gang problem, the police created a gang task force," a third man said to the group of about 70 people. "We need a drug task force because this is a drug problem."

One man suggested putting social services like the needle exchange operated by Northern Health and social service agencies like St. Vincent de Paul's in one location.

"We need to create an area and not in the heart of downtown," he said.

"We just keep moving people around. We kick them out and then they just go to your business, and your business, and your business," one woman said, nodding towards the audience. "This is not just about getting people off the streets today. It's long-term."

Another woman pointed out that social services for the street population are downtown because that's where those people are.

"You say move them from downtown but where?" she asked. "Does anyone have actual solutions or is this just complaining?"

"We need to do something here and not wait for the province," one man said. "We pay our politicians to lead, to act, not to wait for us to come up with the solutions for them."

Coun. Brian Skakun, the sole member of city council in attendance, said he plans on petitioning his council colleagues to hold a special community meeting to hear from everyone affected and discuss solutions.

"I'm ashamed by what's happening downtown. It absolutely disgusts me," he said. "I've been on council a long time and I'm so sorry for what you have to go through."

Downtown business owner and resident John Kason called for "enforced accountability" of the groups that provide services for the downtown street population to clean up.

"It's not fair for us to pick up after their do gooding," he said.

"Downtown is a boat with a big hole in it but the city is more concerned with painting the boat and putting flowers in it," Jason Luke, another downtown business owner said. "Who else from the city other than Brian is here? Some emergency."

Police should take a "zero tolerance" approach to drug use and other problem behaviour, Melanie Desjardines said, and more needs to be to stop "chronic offenders."

The problem is bigger than just Prince George, stressed Jos Van Hage.

"We have to change the laws," he said. "If people can't look after themselves, we should have the right to do it for them."

Safety of employees and customers, poor urban planning and poor follow through by past and present city councils on urban planning best practices, the need for more police officers, funding cuts by provincial and federal governments passed down to municipalities and changing policy around harm reduction were also cited as problems by speakers as the microphone was passed around the audience.

Suggestions were hung up on the wall and audience members were asked to put stickers on the best ideas. More uniformed patrols of downtown, addressing downtown as a health emergency and targeting prolific offenders were three of the most popular choices.

"This is an incredibly complicated problem," Todd Corrigall, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce CEO, said. "We're tired of the closed-door meetings and tired of being kept in the dark on these decisions."

Corrigall stressed to the crowd that with 700 members, the chamber has a powerful voice to bring about change.

"The frustration is out there but what we want to do is focus on the solutions," he said. "That's what we can advocate for."