TAKING BACK THE DOWNTOWN

Groups Have To Continue To Work Together At It

It must have seemed like deja vu all over again for some of those who
attended a community conversation cafe Tuesday in the city to discuss
the problems of drug use, drug dealers and prostitution in the
downtown area.

While it was a different part of the downtown this time around -
about a block or so north -- the conversation centred around the same
general problems that were associated with Germain Park until,
ultimately, a decision was made to flatten the park.

That decision by the city effectively eliminated the hiding places
that RCMP blamed for a great extent of the problems, which included
an alarming increase in beatings and muggings.

Well, it at least seems to have eliminated some of the violent crimes
anyway.

Everything else, according to many business owners at Tuesday's
meeting, seems to have simply moved to another location where it is
now somebody else's problem.

Now those business owners to the north of 100 Avenue and in the
vicinity of 99 Street, give or take a half a block, are having to put
up with prostitutes and drug dealers patrolling their sidewalks.

And just like those business owners behind the drive to have
something done about Germain Park, they want something done about it.

Tuesday's three-hour meeting -- a full one hour longer than scheduled
- -- ended up being a productive session that produced several good
ideas, along with, perhaps, a couple not so good ones.

Among the better ideas were increased patrol and security of the
area, more homeless shelters (which are on the way) and lobbying for
forced drug treatment centres and legislation.

One idea that smacked of perhaps not being in the best interest of
the community was pushing the problem elsewhere once again -
otherwise known as the NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) approach. That's
already been done once - whether it was the intended result or not --
and doesn't have anything to do with a long-term solution for Grande
Prairie.

The idea of playing incessant classical music, while interesting to
think about, wouldn't likely net too many results either other than
ongoing acts of violence against strategically-placed speakers in the
area.

Speaking on behalf of the local RCMP, Insp. Arlen Miller did vow to
increase the RCMP presence in the area, including making a point of
taking a few more coffee and lunch breaks in the downtown area himself.

The problem, of course, is not new to the DownTown Association and
manager Helen Rice, also a city aldermen, reported the association
had already hired a security company to do more patrolling of the area.

So it seems that most everyone, once again, agrees that a workable
solution can be found.

It can't be a perfect solution, of course, because we don't live in a
perfect world.

The best answer to the problem likely lies in a combination of
helping those who can use and want the help, and dealing swiftly for
those who refuse to take it.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.