Downtown Safety

FACEBOOK:

"Rant to downtown… My daughter had to visit the hair college today and parked so she could pay at the meter — she doesn’t use the app. When she got there, a man clearly high on drugs was leaning on the machine. She was so uncomfortable but found the courage to quickly pay, then ran inside. When she came back out — just 15 minutes after her ticket expired — she found a parking ticket that had been written only minutes earlier. By then, the man was passed out next to the machine. We’ll pay the ticket — she was late, fair enough — but the fact that the bylaw officer prioritized writing a $30 ticket over making sure it was even safe for someone to use the meter says everything about why I avoid downtown."

CONDENSED POINTS MADE BY ANOTHER READER:

I’m sorry your daughter felt uncomfortable — that’s a valid reaction. But posts like this can spread fear and reinforce stigma against people struggling with addiction, homelessness, or mental health. They’re not necessarily dangerous, just unwell. Framing them this way harms those already vulnerable and hurts downtown businesses by driving people away. Safety comes from compassion, support, and smart policy — not fear or blame. If we want a healthier city, we need solutions, not scapegoats.

MY CONDENSED RESPONSE:

So you think the answer is for people to just get used to it? I disagree — safety shouldn’t be sacrificed for a business’s bottom line. Downtown is struggling, and City Council is to blame. Ignoring the growing issues of safety, addiction, and homelessness is a liberal excuse that’s gotten us nowhere. One of the reasons I’m running for Council is because I’m tired of seeing people feel unsafe in their own city. We need real change — especially downtown — and a new approach to how we handle narcotics and homelessness. We’re not Vancouver, and I refuse to let Red Deer turn into the Downtown Eastside. Telling people “we need systems, not scapegoats” misses the point. We showed compassion, and it was abused. Now it’s time to take back control. Yes, we need systems — but until this Council is replaced and the problems are properly addressed, nothing will change.
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How do we "handle" the homelessness?

​Introduce temporary housing using tiny homes, implement rent control with mandatory freezes on vacant units, require annual updates on housing availability, prioritize infill development of existing zoned vacant properties for affordable housing, rebuild Cannery Row with a focus on rehabilitation and recovery services, and strengthen targeted community policing and bylaw enforcement.