Historic P.A. building targeted by vandals

Bandet explained the building has been broken into over 15 times in the past two months. He said he thinks he may be getting targeted because for the past few years he had made it his personal mission to help clean up the city.

“Organized crime knows how to take care of people who stir the pot and want to make a difference,” he said. “I’m tired of trying to clean up this city whether its pressure washing, taking off graffiti or just trying to build up the downtown.”

Bandet said he feels the police force is more than adequate to supervise the downtown, but added the court punishments need to be tougher, and also suggested council could take a more proactive stance on crime.

“How long do people have to wait before this city is safe,” he said.

Ward two Councillor Terra Lennox-Zepp agrees with Bandet that what the city is doing currently is not working, but added there have been discussions at the council level related to reducing crime. She said one item that has come up from city administration to council has been crime reduction through environmental design.

“There are ways, different things, a municipality can do through designing their environment that actually have some evidence behind them; strategies that do assist in reducing crime,” she said.

One example recently discussed at council was one used by the City of North Battleford, a program called Eyes that Care which involves the use of motion detecting lights to help reduce the number of the darkened area. Rebates are offered to residents who may not otherwise be able to afford them. A similar program has also been used in Prince Albert’s midtown neighbourhood.

“If you can look at the data and say what has been objectively proven to reduce crime, that’s what makes sense for a municipality to pursue,” Lennox-Zepp said.

Lennox-Zepp also pointed out the Bernice Sayese Centre currently operates a gang reduction strategy, and the centre is funded as an external agency by the city. Lennox-Zepp suggested the city could instead look at financially contributing to the strategy.

“We haven’t pursed that yet at council and I think we should,” she said.

(Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

Carolyn Carleton, Executive Director of the Prince Albert Downtown Improvement District, told paNOW she was very encouraged during the COVID-19 situation to see two new businesses opening in the downtown, and a number of others renovating their spaces. She acknowledged though the downtown does have challenges.

“There is the problem too when you have buildings that have been basically abandoned for a really long time, you are going to have issues because it creates an opportunity,” she said.

Carleton, who listed a number of positive changes happening in the downtown including S.H.A.R.E”s work picking up litter, and the visibility of police doing patrols on bike, explained she has done her best the past few months to encourage businesses owners to look after their properties. She said we all need to be a part of the change.

“Sitting around and complaining and blaming other people to do what needs to happen, isn’t going to accomplish anything,” she said. “We all live here, we choose to live here, so let’s make this a great community.”

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

Historic P.A. building targeted by vandals

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