Downtown task force members support move to an administrative committee
By Toyin Obatusin - Lethbridge Herald Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on December 14, 2024.
Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force Committee members met at City Hall on Thursday morning and discussed a Governance Standing Policy Committee recommendation to have it disbanded.
In attendance were city council members, Downtown BRZ members, a representative of The Lethbridge Police Service, a representative of The Lethbridge Fire and EMS Service, The Director of Community Services, General Manager Regulatory Services, Senior Bylaw Enforcement Officer, Council Community Relations, Communications Strategist, and Legislative Assistants.
Those in favour of disbanding the task force and creating an administrative committee were Mayor Blaine Hyggen, Councillor John Middleton-Hope, Chair Hunter Heggie, and Downtown BRZ members Matthew McHugh, Sheri Kain, and Kendal Hachkowski.
Administrative committees do not require formal meetings but minutes and necessary meetings will be made available to the community. Although there are no council members included in this alternative to the task force, they can still attend meetings, but the administrative committee will present to either an SPC and/or council itself.
Parameters of service for the DLRTF will now be extended to the outer extremities of the City of Lethbridge, and not just the downtown area, said task force chair Hunter Heggie on Thursday.
“I’m completely in support of that. This is a huge win.” said Chair Heggie, “This is a fantastic thing for downtown and the whole city”.
The DLRTF “was established in December 2023 by Lethbridge city council to operate as a sub-committee to the Safety and Social Standing Policy Committee.
“The DLRTF, operating as a sub-committee to the Safety and Social Standing Policy Committee, provides a unique accountability and public engagement element through the open to public format in Council Chambers with posted agenda and minutes,” said a report to council on Nov. 12.
“The DLRTF was established with the purpose of collaboration on the development of a cross-functional task force. As such, the DLRTF has spent the last 11 months identifying the impacts of lawlessness behaviour in the downtown core, listening to community members, and strategizing with key stakeholders including Lethbridge Police Service, Opportunity Lethbridge, community members and the Downtown Lethbridge Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ), and City Departments including Fire and EMS, Community Social Development, and Bylaw Services.
The DLRTF listened to the presentations of community groups, residents, and social service partners/providers to understand the issues impacting downtown Lethbridge, the scope of existing services and initiatives, and how to best support and enhance safety, vibrancy, and investment in our city’s downtown,” the report stated.
The report says several priorities were accomplished by the task force including:
* Data Collection and Analysis – Multiple key City of Lethbridge departments including LPS, Fire/EMS and CSD came forward and provided data on the various aspects of lawlessness. Further, as part of the Building Safer Communities work being completed by the City, a community wide safety survey was completed in November 2023 – January 2024. The consultants who managed that work were able to pull downtown specific findings into the Downtown Insights report, which was presented to the DLRTF, as well as to the Safety & Social SPC July 18th, 2024.
* Understanding Legal Processes (Enforcement, Bylaws) – LPS and Bylaw Services have spent a considerable amount of time with the DLRTF explaining roles and responsibilities, different bylaws at play, and the different limitations to each area. Understanding Roles and Responsibilities – A summary of various LPS, Bylaw Services, CSD, and external partners services currently funded through the City (primarily through existing Downtown Clean and Safe initiatives) was prepared and shared with DLRTF. This was effective in building an understanding of roles and responsibilities.
During nine months of meetings, the task force was successful in gathering context to understand lawlessness issues that impact the downtown core.
“DLRTF members have heard overwhelmingly from businesses, City services, front-line agencies, and downtown residents that the resources required to respond to social disorder (vandalism, debris, violence, and other crimes) is untenable. The financial and emotional costs on businesses, particularly in terms of security, property repairs, and staff retention, are severe. Safety concerns are not only impacting businesses but also the broader community,” the report notes.
It also adds that people living downtown don’t feel safe and are often unable to enter or leave their homes.
“The increase in downtown business safety alarms to deter lawlessness behaviours has made it difficult to sleep at night as the alarms are set off much of the evening. The mental health impact on the residents and business owners/operators was voiced at meetings and heard by the members of the DLRTF. Residents and visitors are less likely to frequent downtown, which in turn affects the economic vitality of the area. The situation is exacerbated by a piecemeal approach to public safety funding, which fails to address root causes and leaves businesses bearing the burden.”
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The task force heard some important concerns, one concern that resonated amongst many was that police needs to enforce the laws and protect citizens and property downtown! Downtown was ignored by police and as gangs grew, they spread to other parts of the city! Will this new committee get police to enforce the laws?