STATE OF DOWNTOWN A 'SENSITIVE ISSUE'

Just How Bad Is New Westminster's Downtown?

John Locke hearkened back to the mid-1990s when he spoke at a recent
meeting of the New Westminster police board.

Locke, speaking on behalf of the Downtown Residents' Association and
the Downtown New Westminster Business Improvement Society, referred
to complaints of people using drugs or turning the streets and alleys
into toilets.

"It's the same old story and it's much worse," Locke told the board.
"It's the worst it's been since the Honduran drug crisis of a few years ago."

His choice of words didn't sit well with Mike Judd, deputy chief
constable of the New Westminster Police Service.

"I'm of the opinion, and it's shared by others at the police service,
that we don't have that problem," Judd said in an interview the next
day, referring to the "Honduran drug crisis" phrase.

"I don't find it helpful when people use inflammatory descriptions."

However, he added, "it's a sensitive issue in the community, and I
absolutely get that. The police service is very sensitive to that."

Locke told the board there had been "constant complaints from
(business society) members" about what was going on downtown and the
impact it was having on their businesses.

Brian Dodd, executive director of the business society, said in an
interview later that he didn't want to drive people away from downtown.

"It doesn't seem to be getting any worse, but it doesn't seem to be
getting any better," he said. "We have ongoing concerns down here,
and we need to be working with the city and police to address these
concerns. We need to make the downtown a safe and clean place for the
citizens and businesses that come into the area."

Dodd said the business society's board of directors met with city
representatives - from council and staff - last month and would keep
meeting with them.

At the police board meeting, Locke said that, in addition to the drug
dealers, homeless people were also part of the problem.

"Homeless people have rights, but to defecate (on the street)? To do
drugs? Do they have the right to drive people out of business?"

Locke said the homeless people living in the downtown are not
necessarily harmless.

"They're not all little lambs that have lost their way," he said.

In his interview, Judd agreed that the downtown is "a major
challenge" because people with one or more issues - which include
being homeless, being mentally ill or being addicted to drugs - tend
to congregate there.

"We've also seen some aggressive street people," Judd said.

Locke said the downtown is losing merchants because of the problems.

"If you looked at our business improvement (society) directory from
five years ago, you wouldn't see half the businesses (that are)
there, the turnover is that great."

On behalf of area residents and businesses, Locke asked the police to
focus their crime-fighting on "nuisance behaviours" in the downtown.

"Don't let people sleep in doorways, don't let them sleep in parks.
Move them along," he said. "We think that will really help the big picture."

It's what other communities - such as Vancouver and Surrey - are
doing, which doesn't bode well for New Westminster, Locke said.

"If they squeeze at both ends, and we're the most welcoming city,
it's going to get even worse."

Then he explained that, although the problem might not be quite so
bad in reality, it seems that way to people.

"Perception is the worst enemy of downtown," he said. "Every time we
lose a customer, they're gone forever."

Locke also focused his attention on social service offices that are
based downtown, referring to it as a large industry that is trying to
get bigger.

"They want to grow their business, and I think they're doing as much
as possible to attract these people."

At the meeting, Mayor Wayne Wright said that there was a time when
there were no social services in the area and those that are there
now "filled a void."

"They may move on at some time," he added.

Chief Const. Lorne Zapotichny, presenting a crime statistics report
later in the meeting, noted the numbers paint a different picture.

"For six months in a row, we're down statistically in all
categories," the chief constable said. "I think our statistics
reflect well on our community."

Judd noted in the interview that the problem isn't always easy to pin down.

"There's two dimensions that we try to get a handle on," the deputy
chief said, explaining anecdotal reports show one facet of an issue
and statistics show another.

"I would never want to hang my hat on statistical data because it
only gives you one side of the picture," Judd said, adding, "It's a
complex, deep-seated social problem. It isn't necessarily going to be
addressed by digging down in one area."

He also noted that, for some of the concerns about homeless people,
there's nothing for the police to do.

"There's nothing in the Criminal Code that speaks to a dress code you
have to wear," Judd said. "You don't want to use the weight of the
Criminal Code to deal with social issues."

He explained that, for some people, they just don't want to see the
problem in their neighbourhood and referred to a 'not in my backyard' attitude.

"There's a little bit starts to touch on the NIMBY area."

But the police have been making a difference, Judd said.

"We've made some really good progress along Clarkson Street," he
said. "We address specific concerns in a given area. That seems to be
a formula that works well for us."

Because New Westminster is more 'concentrated' than most communities
of its size, Judd said, the problem might appear worse than it is.

Zapotichny said they are prepared to address people's concerns, to a degree.

"That's not to say we don't have a job to do. (But) expectations are
high, sometimes unrealistic.

"Where criminal activity is present, we're equipped and we're
prepared to handle that activity."

Social issues are a different matter, Zapotichny said, explaining
they're not equipped to deal with them.

Homelessness is "a social issue, not a police issue."

The mayor agreed.

"Our police force is there for criminals first. It's not, and
shouldn't be, for dealing with society's problems."