DRUGS, CRIME PRIORITY ONE

Ward 3 Inner City Youth Worker Says Politicians Must Tackle Problems
If They Want to Make a Difference

SAINT JOHN - Donnie Snook wishes there were no crime or drug problems
in Ward 3.

But in a strange sense, he was pleased to see the issues at the top
of poll results as the most important concern for residents in the ward.

"Now that we've identified it as a major issue, we've taken the first
step in fixing it," said Snook, the director of the Inner City Youth
Ministry located in the south end.

"The results don't surprise me. That's exactly what the main issues
are in Ward 3. I'm not surprised about the concern surrounding crime
and drugs. I'd go a bit further and include prostitution and
vandalism, as well."

Problems related to crime and drugs were the No. 1 answer by
residents of the ward in a recent poll commissioned by the
Telegraph-Journal on the issues of major concern to city residents.

Corporate Research Associates conducted the poll in late December and
broke down the results according to the new ward boundaries that will
be in place for the May 12 municipal election.

The polling firm asked respondents the following question: 'In your
opinion, what is the single most important issue facing your
neighbourhood today?'

Crime and drugs topped the results for Ward 3, coming in at 15 per
cent - the highest of any answer in any of the four wards. Concerns
about poverty and poor employment ranked second at 10 per cent,
followed by the condition of roads at nine per cent.

"I get the calls daily from the seniors who are scared to walk out
their front door because there are drug deals happening right out in
the middle of the street, or the parents who call about the drug
deals next to the schoolyard or their kids walking past the
prostitutes on the way home from school," said Snook. "It's a very
real problem right here where they work and live and play.

"Someone has to stand up and say this isn't acceptable. It's not the
picture we want to paint of our neighbourhood or of our city."

Snook, who witnesses the havoc that crime and drugs wreak on families
every day, said the results show the problem isn't isolated to the
city's south end.

"It's interesting to note the diversity of the ward," said Snook, who
ran as a candidate in the last municipal election but lost with 4,737
votes, close to taking a seat. "We're not talking just about the
south end. The ward also includes part of the west side and a piece
of the east side. Some of these issues may be more relevant to
different parts of the ward, but it seems like it's a problem for
many neighbourhoods in Saint John and we need an aggressive approach
to finding a solution."

Snook admits there are no easy answers, but adds the pursuit of a
solution is in everyone's best interests.

"There's no way we can talk about the health of Ward 3 without first
addressing the issues of crime and drugs," he said. "There has to be
a recognition that this is an important priority. Then people in
Saint John will be able to come up with an aggressive formula to deal
with it. It will have to be a collaborative approach between the
different jurisdictions and levels of government. It's everybody's
problem, so there's going to have to be a real co-operative solution.

"I really believe in community policing. A lot can happen through the
establishment of a community police station with a community officer
who is assigned to the station. These stations and officers can be a
focal point in the fight against drugs and crime and prostitution.
But it has to go beyond simply building another station and assigning
one officer.

"Education and awareness have to be part of the problem. If there are
drug dealers on our street corners, it's because there are customers
in our neighbourhoods that they are catering to. We have to teach
kids that drugs are bad. I don't think there are any quick fixes out
there, but there are concrete steps - such as community policing -
that can go a long way to help make things better. There really has
to be a plan to help drive things forward if we want to make an impact."

Snook says the ward system might actually help bring about change
quicker, since residents are guaranteed at least two seats at the
council table.

"We're talking about a ward system - what better way for a candidate
to get a good sense of the neighbourhood than to get involved in the
fight against crime and drugs?

"How can you talk about neighbourhood revitalization and building a
better Saint John if we're not fixing the big problems caused by
crime and drugs in the city? It can't be done. You can't have
development and then simply displace the people and see their
problems move with them. It's much more effective to fix the problem first."