A Call for action on vandalism

Does something need to be done around town, before it comes to this?



While the downtown business merchants might put a Robocop on their wish list to sweep the downtown streets of all malcontents, the solution to the vandalism in Prince Rupert will most likely be a little less mechanical and more socially interactive.

Local merchants, weary of the string of vandalism in the downtown area have banded together to try and come up with a collective solution to the troublesome nature of some youth at night.
Options ranging from a private security patrol to high frequency noise generators and curfews were discussed at a recent meeting of the downtown merchants.

Of particular concern to the merchants and city residents, is the lack of accountability of the youth and the apparent lack of interest by their parents or guardians.

The curfew option seems to be the favored approach by the merchants though it was an option that the RCMP approached with caution, suggesting that it’s a development that the city government would want to become involved with.

While the merchants have a legitimate reason to be concerned about the recent spate of vandalism downtown, before we start sending waves of private security battalions onto the downtown streets, perhaps city hall could address the staffing levels of the RCMP detachment.
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Considering the amount of increased revenue that has been generated by the vigorous approach to traffic enforcement, perhaps some of that revenue could be recycled into a youth squad for the downtown area at night and increased numbers for the always interesting bar crowd scene .

That is an issue for city council to debate; they are the ones that have reduced the staffing levels of the detachment over the last few years. Clearly there is a need for a new approach to policing the downtown area as the residents can see that there is a problem, now its up to city council to take the advice of the citizens (and voters!).

Setting up a squad of officers that would become a fixture on the street scene in the evening could become a very proactive approach to the problem. They would be able to identify the troublemakers and move them along. At the same time they could develop a relationship with those youth who may be on the street for no other reason than it’s a safer place than their homes.

There also needs to be some kind of support system in place for those kids that have no safe place to return to, something that is probably beyond the reach of the city and would require provincial and federal invovlement.

While a curfew sounds like a quick fix, it’s really not the ultimate solution to the problem. For it tends to punish the good kids, for the misdeeds of a small number of troublemakers. That being said, parents or guardians need to become more involved and accountable for what their children are doing on the streets late at night. There is really no real reason for a teenager to be out wandering the streets after 11 pm or midnight.

But in the short term there is a desire to try and reclaim the downtown area and re-establish the area as one that isn't to be trashed by bored or impaired offenders.

The downtown vandalism and rowdyism problem isn’t limited to just teenagers however, a trip downtown to survey the bar scene at closing time on a late night, will show a different Prince Rupert than many residents might recognize.

Providing the resources to the RCMP to enforce a zero tolerance approach to the issue might go a long way to reducing the problems in the downtown area.

This week’s edition of the Northern View featured some of the ideas from the downtown merchants.

Merchants seek a vandalism solution
By Brooke Ward The Northern View
Oct 10 2007

Responding to an overwhelming string of vandalism throughout the downtown core, several business owners throughout the community assembled last week to brainstorm solutions for the increasingly costly problem.

Addressing primarily the issue of hoards of youth congregating in downtown parking lots, alleyways and street corners at all hours of the night, the business owners sought to find viable solutions for the problem which, according to them, goes largely unnoticed in the community.
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Citing a lack of respect for authority and others’ property amongst these adolescents and an even more troubling lack of accountability for young offenders in the judicial system, the business owners say they’re tired of shelling out their hard earned money on window repairs and shoplifted goods.

The gathered individuals expressed a desire for a more visible RCMP presence during bar crowd, saying that it wasn’t enough for their squad cars to be parked along the high activity areas. The area needs beat cops and bike patrol, say the local business owners.

The merchants discussed the idea of the formation of a Prince Rupert Merchants Association that could hire private security guards to patrol the downtown core at night. Several other ideas surfaced including the installation of high frequency sound devices like those used in many places throughout the United Kingdom to ward off troublesome youth. Audible rarely to those over the age of 20, the sound is not painful, but so bothersome that teenagers cannot stand it for very long.

Perhaps the most controversial of suggestions, however, was the implementation of a downtown curfew for youth, which was seemingly favored by the merchants.

Although in theory a good approach because it gives the police officers the authority to remove kids from the downtown late at night, it can also be more like a dispersal of the problems says RCMP Sergeant Pierre Lemaitre, who is responsible for provincial strategic communications.
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“Something like that, which would restrict the liberties of individuals, even though they’re young people, is something that obviously the municipal government has to be involved with because they represent the citizens.”

If that were to be a solution that the residents of Prince Rupert felt like testing the RCMP would be right on board, though, says Lemaitre.

“Certainly the RCMP wants to be a part of the solution. We want to be at the table, we are a part of the community.”

Lemaitre emphasizes that the other key component at the table are the youth themselves.

“The youth groups that are involved in the community, that are proactive need to be included in the discussions because they will bring great insight into what’s happening. They have the essence of a barometer,” he said.

“The sad part is that [the damage] is the work of probably such a small minority of kids and the fact is that there are a lot of other great kids out there and its frustrating for them because it gives them a bad name.”

Like the merchants, Lemaitre sees poor leadership and lack of parental involvement and accountability as contributors to the problem.

“Realistically they shouldn’t be out on the street at that time of night, but maybe the fact is that we need to address the underlying issue and give them somewhere to be or something to do.”