Transient Crime and Downtown

Downtown Red Deer used to be the heart of our city — a place Red Deerians have always been proud to walk, work, and visit. Today, too many business owners and residents say they don’t feel safe. Addiction-related crime, vandalism, and open drug use are becoming all too common. Enforcement is inconsistent, and accountability often seems to be missing entirely.

We hear a lot about “harm reduction” and “safe supply.” These terms sound compassionate, but in reality, they often make things worse. Calling giving drugs to people “harm reduction” is an oxymoron — like the name “Planned Parenthood,” which sounds like it’s about supporting families, but in practice focuses on abortions rather than parenthood. These approaches can enable harmful behavior instead of addressing the root problems. True compassion isn’t handing someone drugs and walking away — it’s helping them get clean and rebuild their lives.

The Chamber of Commerce has recommended creating a society to coordinate community efforts, and I think this makes sense. A society made up of business leaders, social service agencies, and the City could organize resources, track what’s actually working, and make programs effective. It wouldn’t provide services itself, but it could direct funding, coordinate programs, and ensure results.

I’ve seen this work firsthand. In my building, drug dealers and problem tenants were removed after six months of working with SCAN and property management, with a police escort. Livability improved, and RCMP patrols increased. Not every neighborhood has someone willing to spend that much time, but a society could help make sure solutions like this happen citywide.

I also demonstrated recently how simple it is for the average person to document conditions. I took a photo of The Mustard Seed lineup on 60th Street. A few months ago, I spoke to someone downtown who didn’t think there was a problem because the soup kitchen across the street never had a line. I explained that most people walk up the Red Mile to 60th Street, and they didn’t even know there’s more than one soup kitchen in Red Deer. Small observations like this can make a big difference in understanding the real situation.

We need peace officer patrols and a Downtown Ambassador program in summer to encourage visitors and residents to linger, shop, and explore. More people downtown creates natural oversight, which discourages trouble and increases safety. Not all crimes are reported, and not every incident is enforced — I’ve seen this firsthand. Anonymous reporting to a non-police agency, with public maps showing problem areas, would give citizens a safe way to share what they see.

Live, publicly accessible cameras downtown, in major parks, and at the CPR Bridge would allow everyone to see activity in real time. This isn’t a surveillance state — it’s community oversight. Social services like Turning Point should be relocated to a controlled district, like Cannery Row or the Michener Center, so access is easier to manage and downtown pressure is reduced.

Here’s how I would improve downtown specifically:
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1) Year-round peace officer patrols to enforce bylaws and discourage public drug use and vandalism.
2) Summer Downtown Ambassadors program to make the area welcoming and encourage visitors to explore.
3) Anonymous reporting through a non-police agency, with public maps showing problem areas while keeping identities safe.
4) Live, publicly accessible cameras for real-time awareness and community oversight.
5) Relocate social services like Turning Point to a controlled district.
6) Coordinate programs through the proposed society to ensure resources are effective and results are tracked.
7) restore evening bus transit services to bring more people throughout the city downtown and encourage businesses to remain open til 9pm

These steps can help restore downtown Red Deer as a place we can all be proud of — safe, vibrant, and welcoming for everyone.