ST. PAUL - In late July, the Town of St. Paul received a document from a group of concerned citizens regarding criminal behaviour in their neighbourhood.
"I believe in their minds they were submitting a petition, but I'm afraid it doesn't even come close to meeting the requirements of a proper petition," said Town of St. Paul CAO Kim Heyman during the regular council meeting on Aug. 10. She noted that despite the document not meeting the requirements for a petition, the concerns expressed are still very relevant.
The residents want the town to consider things like increased patrols, street lights, private security, speed bumps, and a four-way stop sign at the intersection of 52nd Street and 54th Avenue.
"We were able to figure out who dropped it off and I was able to talk to the lady who organized this," said Heyman, adding, "Our conversation reflected the concern I get from our citizens almost every day."
"Daily, we are faced with people that are disruptive to families, children and community. We have at least two known drug houses in the area that attracts a vulnerable population," alleges the document, which contains over 40 signatures. The document was presented to council during the Monday night meeting.
The document was dated July 23 but received on July 27 and states that residents often hear profanities being yelled, thefts occur often, motorists in the area drive at a high rate of speed, and there is heavy foot traffic in the neighbourhood.
"We are afraid of continued escalation, we are afraid for our properties, and for our safety," reads the document, which is simply signed by the "Neighbourhood."
While RCMP statistics may not reflect it, people are concerned about vandalism, personal property destruction and theft related to drug crime taking place in St. Paul, said Heyman. The document includes suggestions to help with the situation, but there was no specific ask presented to council.
Mayor Maureen Miller said she had a recent conversation with Sgt. David Graham of the St. Paul RCMP detachment, and he noted that he would like to speak with council at an upcoming meeting. The mayor suggested council wait for that meeting before making any decisions.
Coun. Nathan Taylor agreed and said he felt the discussion would be better suited to take place at a Committee of the Whole meeting. A motion to bring the issue back to an upcoming meeting, when Graham can attend, was carried.
Premier visit
Miller and Heyman also briefed the rest of council on the recent meeting with Premier Jason Kenney that was held in St. Paul.
"It was very nice to finally get an ear," said the mayor. The town was given a short amount of time to address one key issue it felt was important - Miller chose to speak about crime in St. Paul and how it's often connected to mental health and addiction issues.
Taylor said he felt the issue was exactly the right topic to bring forward to the provincial government.
The day following the meeting with the Premier, the mayor was contacted by the provincial government in response to a request for help in establishing a Police and Crisis Team (PACT).
