By Taylor MacPherson

Midtown crime still an issue, despite community efforts

Oct 13, 2017 | 10:00 AM

Despite the best efforts of concerned citizens, crime in Prince Albert’s Midtown neighbourhood is still leaving some feeling frustrated.

Midtown Neighbourhood Watch President Peter John said he is upset with the apparent lack of progress in the fight against petty crime. Residents have been reporting all incidents to the police and patrolling back alleys at night armed with vests and flashlights, John said, but the community continues to be plagued by vandalism, theft, vagrancy and drug use.

“When we do our patrols at night we still see lots of people frequenting our back alleys who aren’t supposed to be there,” John said. “There’s only so much we, as residents, can do.”

The neighbourhood watch initiative has received strong support from Midtown residents and local businesses, John said, but their efforts have not had a noticeable effect so far. Discarded needles are as common as ever, he said, and addicts often create a mess when digging through garbage bins in search of discarded bottles and cans.

Other neighbourhood watch members have been sharing their annoyances through a private Facebook group, John said. One brand-new vehicle was tagged with graffiti recently, while another vehicle was damaged by would-be thieves.

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“Her front window got smashed open and they didn’t even take anything,” he said. “We all know what the issues are. Now what do we do?”

John said he understands that petty crime is driven by poverty and addiction, which cannot be fixed overnight. John acknowledged that the city and its police force have limited resources to work with, but said he would like to see more done.

“They’re systemic problems, but at some point you’ve got to draw the line,” John said. “At some point, the entire city, they’re going to have to start looking at other options. Maybe more severe options for this type of behaviour.”

Despite John’s frustrations, the number of calls placed to city police in Midtown has actually declined slightly over recent months. According to data provided by the Prince Albert Police Service, 296 calls for service were made from Ward 3 in July. In August the number fell to 246, and they received 238 calls for service in September.

While the numbers for Midtown have declined slightly, city-wide property crime has risen over past year. According to the latest police statistics, property crime is up by roughly 1.8 per cent so far this year when compared to the same period in 2016.

Ward 3 City Councillor Evert Botha, who also sits on the Midtown Neighbourhood Watch Committee and the city’s Board of Police Commissioners, said he understands John’s frustrations. Botha said petty crime is definitely still an issue in Midtown, but it would be unrealistic to expect a neighbourhood watch to create dramatic reductions in crime so quickly.

“As far as deterring crime is concerned, you can’t just expect these things to happen overnight. It takes time,” Botha said. “Right now we’re still getting this thing up and running.”

Although the neighbourhood watch may not be reducing crime directly yet, Botha praised the progress the initiative has already made and the high level of community involvement it has drawn. Botha said the Midtown initiative will likely become more effective as more residents become involved, and said other neighbourhoods have already expressed their interest in starting similar programs.

“It’s still in its infancy,” he said. “From a city and from a police point of view, I think we’re watching this very closely to see whether this is a model which will stand on its own feet.”

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews