July Weekend of Crime and More

It was a pretty awful weekend by any metric. A man in a wheelchair stabbed randomly in the afternoon in a courtyard on Powers Street Friday. In Crescentwood by Kelvin High School, a man smashed windows at the school and various homes at 6:30 AM. He threatened people and stole items. Some time on Friday, someone cut all 15 tipi poles in half for an indigenous celebration on Kenaston. And the list goes on of drug arrest, high speed chases and other assorted stabbings and violence. 

This isn't cherry picking. And heaven's knows what the police and fire reports will be Monday. Multiple neighbourhoods and businesses are begging for a surge of police resources. At the same time activists are begging them to back off. They really can't went people are being stabbed, threatened or businesses and schools attacked. 

It doesn't help when Reddit anonymous posters complain about the patriarchy and corporate ownership when stores are being ransacked. They even complained when unionized government liquor stores used security screening even after violent assaults. To be fair, even posters at Reddit are getting a little exasperated at the threats to safety with comments on the rampant arson, store chaos and literal open use of drugs and people dying in the streets every day. 

Once again, this is happening everywhere with toxic drugs everywhere in Canada and beyond. No one wants to blame to victims but who exactly are the victims here? And how are you helping if they are released so quickly after offending. Clearly, some resume immediately what they are doing. The lawlessness is exhausting even the most sympathetic to addictions and poverty. 

Some transitional housing groups are now refusing housing to those who have not even begun some process of weaning off drugs. The worry is that it will end in arson, violence and hurt those being taken care of. At some point, for many, a violent encounter probably means being remanded and awaiting trial. That is too late after damage is done but it might be the only time to get people off the lethal drugs they are on. The problem is the endless supply of people into this cycle.

Add in racist instant of attacks on indigenous people and high speed street racing and you have a weekend of chaos. The police have their hands full. Still, neighbourhoods are begging for a police presence to enforce some form of lawful behaviour. Those living in areas seem to think that all that is being done is reviving people and giving them clean needles and save places to get high. Many of the people are too high and unsafe for shelters and the constant need to find money to feed the addiction means businesses and individuals are targets. It is a vicious cycle.

With an election this fall imminent, it seems we will likely have police called in more. However, Gillingham is looking for a non police and fire-paramedic response to this. How this is done remains unknown. It probably involves existing services but how they become involved in a mental health or drug crisis that doesn't require any police or fire is the big question. It might be some sort of triage in the 911 calls. At the moment, we are short 107 paramedics so maybe he can address that first. If there are police shortages, I have not heard the latest number.  Shortages in front line workers before and election is a recipe for questions on re-election for mayor and council alike.

Something has to be done before it gets even worse.