S.E. Edmonton residents raise concern about public safety

Some Edmontonians in the southeast neighbourhoods around Hardisty and Fulton are raising concerns about public safety, saying they have noticed a change in recent years.

Near the Capilano Mall, residents are not shying away from talking about the perception of public safety.

“I’ve been here for eight years, and when I moved here I thought it was heaven. Now I wouldn’t get out of the apartment by 7 at night. No way Jose,” said one Edmontonian.

Another saying, “The traffic is a little bit dangerous on here but in terms of people, I’d say for the general and for the most part that people are safe.”

But neighbourhood groups have seen an increase in conversations around crime in recent months, with some, crediting the rise to the opening of the time Morningstar transitional housing in Terrace Heights.

“There’s been a lot of crime, I have some friends who live right around the corner there. And there are people defecating all over the place, patrolling up and down in the alleyways, checking through unlocked cars, and unlocked garage doors … But people who lived close to here especially close to that transitional housing don’t feel safe at all,” said one resident who has been living in John Neighbourhood since 1989.

Boyle Street Community Services runs the site. Offering 47 permanent supportive housing spaces with wrap-around supports for residents with mental illness or substance use disorders. And online, says they are working with local community leagues and businesses to integrate the new residents into the local community.

The local councilor said she has been coordinating with Edmonton police and neighbourhood to deal with the increase in visible homelessness and the ongoing drug crisis.

“Ultimately, I think the deeply dissatisfying thing is that the province isn’t around the table for those meetings and a lot of the issues experiencing require action to the provincial government,” said Ashley Salvador, the councillor of Ward Métis.

This Saturday, there will be an event at the local skate park, a community social meant to connect the community.

“When it comes to these types of systemic issues we need all levels of government at the table. I’ve been in attendance at many of these community meetings, but without the province around the table it’s challenging to get the answers the community is asking for,” said Salvador.