TRANQUILLE TO LOSE PAY PHONES

Criminals will have to pack their cellphones if they want to do
business along Tranquille Road.

City council voted unanimously Tuesday to have the public pay phones
removed from the street as part of an effort to reduce crime in the area.

City administrator Randy Diehl said the move is part of a strategy to
reduce criminal behaviour in the area, along with other efforts such
as the City fencing off its beachfront property on Royal Avenue that
has been attracting drug and criminal activity.

A similar telephone removal was done in the downtown a few years ago
and did help, Diehl said.

He took exception to recent criticisms in the media that have said
the City isn't putting forward a co-ordinated approach toward the
criminal problems in the Tranquille Road area. Diehl said the City
has involved the social planning council, crime prevention officer,
RCMP, police committee and other groups in coming up with a strategy
for the area.

"It's not going to go away easily," he said.

Mayor Terry Lake agreed.

More needs to be done to help people who are addicted to drugs and
that involves many groups, not just the City, he said. At the same
time, there are things the City can do, such as helping with social
housing in the area by giving breaks on development-cost charges or
tax exemptions, he added.

"It's not a Band-aid solution, it's first aid," said Lake, noting
other levels of government also have to participate to alleviate drug
addiction and its associated problems.

Crime prevention officer Mark Huhn said the new beach-area fence has
caused the criminals to move around, and their shifting is being monitored.

They've shown up at McDonald Park and at a nearby street corner,
while there's also been a suggestion drug activity in Riverside Park
is increasing as a result, too. Huhn said Diehl asked him to develop
a drug-reduction strategy, which he is researching.