NEIGHBOURHOOD THREAT

Drugs and hookers are making the inner city a dangerous place to live

One of the issues we haven't heard much about in this civic election - and
certainly one that affects several wards, but specifically Ward 8 - is the
issue of prostitution and drug trafficking in residential areas.

This is a concern that has not been effectively dealt with by either the
City of Calgary or the Calgary Police Service (CPS).

Representatives from the city and the CPS couch the issue in terms of "this
community" or "that community." We see the same approach in the media. Drug
trafficking and prostitution are not isolated situations. They are not just
a "Forest Lawn issue" or a "Victoria Park issue."

This is a concern that affects quality of life and safety throughout
Calgary. Unfortunately, it continues to be portrayed, and therefore
perceived, as an inner-city problem and suburban residents can rest easy.
This is false comfort.

The issue, just from a geographical point of view, is huge - far more of a
problem than your average Calgarian likely imagines.

The presence of prostitutes, their pimps (if they have one), johns and
drug-traffickers ranges from Forest Lawn, through Inglewood, Ramsay and
Dover, into the East Village, down into Victoria Park, through Chinatown,
over into Bridgeland, back into the now high-priced neighbourhood of Eau
Claire and into Downtown West. It continues into West Victoria Park (east
of Fourth Street S.W. and west of Centre Street), spills over into parts of
Mission and Cliff Bungalow and through Connaught-Beltline. There are some
indications the problem is starting to affect Lower Mount Royal, parts of
Scarboro and Sunalta. I've even heard Bowness has some problems in this
regard. That is a massive swatch of real estate. If one then factors in the
spillover effect in neighbourhoods bordering those named, one can easily
see the spread of this problem throughout much of Calgary.

The drugs being sold in our neighbourhoods are dangerous, highly addictive
and insidious chemicals such as crack cocaine and, more recently, crystal meth.

In my neighbourhood alone I can, on any given day (and night), observe up
to a dozen drug dealers working the parking lot of the convenience store
across the street from my apartment complex. I've observed what appear to
be nice, clean-cut young adults and teens park in that parking lot in their
nice cars and "score." There are at least two known crack houses in my
block alone. My street is worked by up to seven or eight hookers at a time,
with more on the surrounding avenues.

I've been awakened at 3, 4, 5 and 6 a.m. (sometimes all in the same night)
to the sounds of dealers fighting with each other, and hookers screaming
and cursing at each other because they are angry or strung out. Area
residents have been accosted and, in some instances, assaulted. I've seen
gridlock at 3 a.m. as buyers inundate the avenue I live on.

My apartment complex has a private courtyard-playground attached to the
property. On the other side of the chain link fence is a "character home"
that is constantly being rented to crack whores, addicts and dealers. A
little over a year ago, a drug-related murder took place there, with one of
the individuals shot as he attempted to exit a second-storey window onto
the roof of the back entrance. His body bounced off the chain link fence
and fell onto the basketball court of our courtyard -where in a few hours
kids would have been shooting hoops and skateboarding. Another individual
ran out the front door and was gunned down in the front yard of the house,
steps away from the sidewalk and about 10 feet from our courtyard.

Residents in this neighbourhood had been saying, for at least a year, that
it was only a matter of time before we had a killing, a drive-by shooting,
or some other form of violence.

Thing is, this is not East Central L.A. or Vancouver's East Side. This is a
nice neighbourhood, close to 17th Avenue S.W., the trendy area of Fourth
Street and Mission, and a few blocks from the office towers of downtown and
the mansions of Mount Royal. It is filled with a mix of older homes, 1950s
walk-ups and apartment buildings, with a few historical sites scattered
through the tree-lined streets. Not that it matters whether we live in a
"nice neighbourhood" or not. What does matter is residents don't feel heard
or listened to by either the city or the police.

We are constantly told there is a lack of resources, so the police can't do
their job down here. Now I read that Chief Jack Beaton is asking for more
money for his department in order to combat "terrorism." What about the
terror of being held captive in our own neighbourhoods by drug addicts,
drug dealers, gang members and drug-addled hookers?

In my apartment complex alone we have several families with children under
the age of 12. We have seniors. Immigrants. An entire floor of our complex
is devoted to people with physical disabilities, most of whom are in
automated wheelchairs. The idea is to allow them to live independently, but
what quality of life do they - or any of us - have when one literally has
to negotiate a phalanx of drug dealers and hookers hanging out in front of
the building or blocking the entrance to the convenience store?

I have sat through endless hours of committee meetings, community
consultations, town hall meetings and residents' meetings. I have written
countless letters to my city council member, various city departments and
the police brass. I have sent e-mails to anyone I think would listen,
including media. I and other residents have canvassed a four-block by
three-block area of businesses, shops, homes and condominiums trying to get
something organized. I routinely forward incident reports to the drug and
vice units via e-mail. I'm on a first-name basis with my community liaison
officer.

In the three-and-a-half years my partner and I have lived here, I have
dealt with at least three of these officers - each of whom say the same
things their predecessor said:

"We understand your frustration; we're frustrated, too."

"These things take time. Be patient."

"We don't have the resources."

"There's not much we can do."

"The Charter of Rights and Freedoms won't allow us to (fill in the blank)."

"You have to understand, many of these women are victims."

"The judicial system just turns these characters loose before we're back on
the street ourselves."

"Keep calling us; it's citizens who make the difference."

I have worked with the police, as a community activist, on a variety of
issues. I think I understand the constraints they operate under. I
certainly understand their frustrations over a lack of manpower coupled
with residents sniping at the responding officer as if the system and its
faults were controllable by that officer.

The city is not much help, either. Yes, our current representative, Ald.
Madeleine King, has met with many of us to discuss the issues facing this
ward, but I don't see any real movement on those issues. While I applaud
the revitalization of Connaught and the beautification of our neighbourhood
parks, what's the point of having a lovely park surrounded by crack addicts
and hookers?

I am told, both by the police and by various representatives of the city,
that my particular neighbourhood is seen as a "hot spot" and as "a model."
There is apparently a report being prepared, which should be available
sometime in October.

What I don't see is this issue on the campaign agenda. Sure, infrastructure
is important. Traffic calming (or not) is important. Addressing urban
sprawl is important. So is this.