Downtown task force gives update to SPC
By Lethbridge Herald on May 17, 2024.
Herald file photo -
Graffiti is seen on the second storey of a downtown building. Graffiti abatement is just one of a number of issues the Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force is looking to address.Fire safety awareness, graffiti abatement, crime prevention through environmental design, using data collection and outlining roles of various City of Lethbridge departments are among the topics that have been explored by the Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force to date.
An update was given to the Safety and Social Standing Policy committee of Lethbridge city council on Thursday.
The task force is a sub-committee and is advisory in nature with no specific budget assigned to it. A review is to be done prior to Dec. 31.
Its purpose is to establish a cross functional team to share knowledge and expertise – while also developing solutions and best practices. The task force includes delegates from the Downtown BRZ representing the small business, large business, real estate, development and administration sectors, as well as members of Lethbridge city council, and representatives from the Lethbridge Police Service, Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services, Community Social Development, Regulatory Services, Opportunity Lethbridge and Communications & Engagement.
At the SPC meeting, task force chair Hunter Heggie gave a submission to showcase a recap of its work to date.
“While the ongoing social issues are of course being felt elsewhere and are not exclusive to Downtown Lethbridge, we certainly have been, and continue to be, directly impacted on a daily basis – so we want to help find solutions,” says Heggie in a press release.
“We still have a lot we want to accomplish, but this Task Force is off to a great step in the right direction.”
“Today’s update provides a fulsome overview of the all the work already done or underway by the Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force for the betterment of our community,” says Councillor John Middleton-Hope, chair of the SPC.
Following is a list of matters the City says since last December the task force has been working on and accomplishing:
• Working with Lethbridge Police Service to further analyze data on crime on the Downtown area.
• Holding an ongoing discussion with LPS on how they utilize their various resources and roles available through Lethbridge Police Service, including outlining the roles of the Lethbridge Police Downtown Policing Unit, Property Crimes Team, Crime Suppression Team, Community Peace Officers and Watch Program.
• Working with Lethbridge Fire and Emergency Services to further analyze data on Downtown Fire Safety Awareness, which also provides tips on education and prevention of fires. There is also ongoing discussion regarding response and investigation, plus biohazardous material management, and on LFES responding to overdoses.
• Working with the Community Social Development team to inform the public on the role of Community Social Development.
• Continued discussion with Regulatory Services on Bylaw 6280 and derelict properties, as well as on a series of Downtown Clean and Safe Initiatives through the Encampment Response Team, Encampment Focused Outreach Services, Diversion Outreach Team, Clean Sweep Program, Downtown Education Program, and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design.
• Ongoing work with Urban Revitalization to inform the public on the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Grant, a matching grant that provides up to $5,000 towards improvements that enhance security and crime prevention measures. It has been used for fencing, lighting, security cameras, and roller shutters, among other uses.
• Working with the Downtown BRZ to inform the public on its Graffiti Abatement Strategy, including outlining the process for removing graffiti from private buildings and properties with the downtown.
• Ongoing discussion with the Blood Tribe Department of Health and Lethbridge Housing Authority regarding shelter and housing in Lethbridge.
• Ongoing discussion regarding the Community Safety Engagement What We Heard Report, which is a needs assessment of the downtown core and has six key themes identified (community safety and public spaces; homelessness and addiction issues; impacts on local businesses; community investment and urban planning; police presence and response; and clean streets, sidewalks, and public facilities).
Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force meetings are held twice a month and are open to the public. Agendas will be posted here: Home – OnBase Agenda Online (lethbridge.ca).
On Dec. 12 last year, the Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force was created as a sub-committee of the Safety and Social SPC by council. At that meeting, the Terms of Reference were approved, and two members of council were appointed to the sub-committee.
21-20
It is rather easy to predict the outcome of all of this “lawlessness” and you are delaying the inevitable which I am truly grateful for but, you are by definition fighting a losing battle
Here are the ingredients for your failure;
1) Not recognizing or ignoring that the criminal element in this city are being catered to by Social Services and Churches in the downtown (wash their feet syndrome)
2) The more Social Services you offer in the downtown, the more that are attracted to the downtown, the more attracted to the downtown, the more crime that is committed to support drug use, The more crime, the more criminals are attracted to the area, the more Lawlessness Committee meets to stem the crime.
3) Social Services then start issuing inconsistent and generally bad advice. Soon you hear,” decriminalize drugs”, “provide safe supply”. “all they need is a home” etc etc. This of course, is the ultimate in crime distribution! Suddenly their is a government sponsored group who needs more low rental/gov subsidized rentals to “house the “wokes newly defined homeless”! .There are then immediate talks on how to do away with zoning so they can “stuff” as many homeless throughout the community as possible. Homeless people are not bad people, but Social Services purposely blurred the line by calling Drug Addicts- Homeless. Suddenly the Prime Woker suggested do away with zoning and the Fed money will roll!
4) The woke (who profit from stupidity), get on the bandwagon of a “home for everyone” even though the home they would like to provide, destroys the zoning of a society at the cost of that society. This is why not one moment of thought was dedicated to the placement of a FASD facility, it is “get free money, house ASAP”, get paid to manage it and profits roll in, then think, and in this particular case…suffer the consequences later. It was “Shucks, Prov wants to pay. Golly Gee Prov has land on Stafford. Shcuks Golly Gee, get out the Shovels, baby!
5) As addicts are informed that Lethbridge is progressing with housing suddenly Rogue MSTH shuttle bus drivers “awaken” and contribute in the relocation of addicts from Calgary etc to Lethbridge. So as fast as Lethbridge Housing Authority (LHA) can ruin an “unzoned free for all installation of buildings”, the larger the list grows for those needing housing. This is also a losing proposition, we will never get ahead of housing the homeless under the “Woke” definition. Remember LHA’s creed is “We house them where we want, but are not responsible for what they do to your community”!
6) The UCP-Marshal Smith did not pick Lethbridge and Red Deer as their “Pilot Project for Addiction Treatment because we are a wonderful generous community. No in fact we were picked to preserve Calgary and Edmonton as the face of Alberta. So, as Calgary and Edmonton experience more problems with “the woke defined Homeless”, the more Rogue MSTH shuttle buses will arrive in the Newly defined Dumping grounds called Red Deer and Lethbridge. This also gives unwritten permission for outliar communities to shuttle bus here as well.
7) So assuming the Lawlessness Committee understand all of this now, then they realize there fight is a display of, and agreeing to, putting “Lipstick on a Marshal Smith Pig” for short term gain.
8) Why do I write about this ongoing failure? I think residents of Lethbridge should know the truth. I personally do not believe for a second you know what the Alberta Gov thinks you have signed up for! For the NDPers loving this, it won’t change if the NDP take power either, in fact they are the Prime Party of Wokers and will ensure Red Deer and Lethbridge designated dumps will occur.
9) Once Trudeau and his minnions bait Communities to drop zoning then a new Cult of Politicians will rise to the surface. Hence the reason the concept of Party politics is being filtered down to the City/Town levels. The UCP’s intend on using Lethbridge and Red Deer as their favorite dumping ground so they absolutely need to know the leanings of the future Mayor/Council before hand! Sounds conspiratorial but when you ponder the implications, the only real change is the residents will know the politics of its council and Mayor “formally” as opposed to the whisper network.
10) Why is this important? You will find that the “Destroy Lethbridge slowly Campaign” will create a huge division in Lethbridge within 2 years. Soon, all of the supporters that support “homes for the woke defined homeless” will reside on the West Side of Lethbridge, but strangely, the addict will be East/West and North! That wave of support has already begun with statements like “they (criminals) shall be close to Social Services” so rezone in an immediate area of the downtown. Why? Because it would appear Drug Addicts are allergic to taking the bus, and violates their right to get everything for free including access to your property! This need to be within spitting distance of Social Services was deemed as an “indisputable fact” by another Woke Group of Downtown and Society killers!
Conclusion
So now that the Lawlessness Committee know (they already knew) what they are up against, The trick is to put enough Lipstick on this Pig to get them through to a point where the “Woke defined Homeless” have a home in North/South/East Lethbridge under the control of Lethbridge Housing Authority(LHA) Then crime will decrease in the Downtown and will then skyrocket in the East/North/South and someone will gather another committee to study the problem and make recommendations to council by 2035! I mean, how could this happen without someone, anyone predicting it?
PS When crime is rampant, a woker will parade on local TV a (truly) homeless person, likely a woman with 4 kids showing the good they do. They won’t show the drug induced junkie wrecking havoc in your niegborhood, its bad for Public Relations. Have a wonderful day!