Some downtown Charlottetown residents want more done about crime

Some Charlottetown residents living in a downtown neighbourhood are calling on the city and the police to do more about crime in an area near Euston Street.

'There's a lot of anxiety, there's a lot of stress, frustration. And the residents have made it known'

Isabella Zavarise · CBC News · Posted: Jul 31, 2019 5:00 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 31, 2019

At a resident-led meeting Tuesday night, people voiced their concerns to city councillors and the Charlottetown police. (Isabella Zavarise/CBC)

Some Charlottetown residents living in a downtown neighbourhood are calling on the city and police to do more about crime in an area near Euston Street.

At a resident-led meeting Tuesday night, people voiced their concerns to city councillors and the Charlottetown police. Charlottetown Coun. Mitchell Tweel was at the meeting and said these issues are not new to him.

"What I'm hearing from the residents on a consistent basis is the proliferation of drugs that are being used and sold in this particular area," he said.

"There's a lot of anxiety, there's a lot of stress, frustration. And the residents have made it known."

'Deep-rooted social issues'

Tweel suggested that the police, fire departments and the city's planning department work together to find a resolution.

"We have an obligation to ensure that all the neighbourhoods in this city are safe," he said.

'What I'm hearing from the residents on a consistent basis is the proliferation of drugs that are being used and sold in this particular area,' says Charlottetown Coun. Mitchell Tweel. (Isabella Zavarise/CBC)

Charlottetown police Deputy Chief Brad MacConnell was also at the meeting.

"We know there's challenges in that neighbourhood," he said.

"There's a lot of deep-rooted social issues … at the root of all of that, including the property crime."

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'We don't want to paint everyone with the same brush'

Charlottetown police Deputy Chief Brad MacConnell says the area draws a lot of attention from police. (Isabella Zavarise/CBC)

MacConnell said while police presence will be increased in the short term, he said he doesn't think that policing on its own is the answer.

Instead, he said, he'd like to work with community organizations and landlords to try and solve the problem.

"We're not looking at displacing it to another part of the city. We're looking at trying to solve the issues and help the people that are there, that are struggling."

Another meeting to be planned

Shards of broken glass on Euston Street was one of the complaints that led to the meeting. (Isabella Zavarise/CBC)

MacConnell credits residents in the area for bringing these issues to the forefront and said another meeting will be held in the next few weeks.

"Not all the people that are living in that area — or in those challenging apartment complexes — are involved in crime. We don't want to paint everyone with the same brush."