Boyle McCauley News

Since 1979 • April-May 2024 • Circulation 5000

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Community Action Team Deployed in McCauley

You may have noticed a marked increase in police presence in McCauley from September 7 to 10. This was part of the EPS deployment of the Community Action Team, or CAT for short. CAT focused its efforts in McCauley for those four days, concentrating primarily on disorder and violence. We took a two-pronged approach during the CAT deployment: we focused on engaging the vulnerable population in the area while targeting our enforcement efforts on the predatory element in the area.

In an effort to reach the vulnerable population, we partnered with several social agencies. This allowed us to create more sustainable change. We partnered with housing agencies, addictions counsellors, local churches, and high-risk youth workers, to name a few. We were able to make instant referrals to many of these agencies, as well as providing a safe time for these agencies to access an otherwise unreachable demographic.

During the project, 10 chronically homeless street people were housed in different areas of the city. Housing 10 people is just a start. These partnerships have been created and this working relationship will continue to grow. With this working partnership we will be able to continue to house many of the inner city population that tends to drive disorder.

We also took a “no tolerance” approach to the open air drinking during this project. Discretion was used on the issuance of tickets during this time, but any open alcohol was considered dumped alcohol. We disposed of approximately 250 litres of alcohol during this time-frame. While dumping open alcohol has an immediate effect and sends a definite message that it is not acceptable in the area, the lasting effect is limited. As such, we targeted the predatory liquor stores providing the alcohol.

We targeted offenders during this time that we deemed to have the most detrimental effect on the community – in some cases arrests were made, removing them from the area and terminating their negative influence on the neighbourhood.

Monitoring the liquor stores led to the issuance of a summons to one of the area liquor stores for serving alcohol to an intoxicated person. When this matter goes before the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission it can either result in a $2,500 fine or a 10 day suspended sentence for a first offence. Subsequent fines carry an increased penalty and can result in cancellation of a liquor license.

The increased presence also led to increased enforcement in Boyle Street and McCauley. Numerous arrests were made, 14 fresh charges laid, 156 warrants executed, and 372 tickets issued. We targeted offenders during this time that we deemed to have the most detrimental effect on the community – in some cases arrests were made, removing them from the area and terminating their negative influence on the neighbourhood.

Follow-up projects and deployments will work on the heels of the CAT deployment in an effort to have a long-term, lasting, positive effect in the community. One of these efforts is the deployment of a Neighbourhood Empowerment Team into the community. Cst. Chapman Lee and Social Worker Kris Andreychuk will work with the community stakeholders to facilitate positive change. They can be reached at (780) 944-8402, or by e-mail at chapman.lee@edmontonpolice.ca or kris.andreychuk@edmontonpolice.ca.

If you would like to participate in a community initiative similar to this, please contact me at michael.walkom@edmontonpolice.ca or (780) 421-2603. The involvement of community members is the key component in creating sustainable, positive change in a neighbourhood; please contact me with your contact information and any ideas you may have to become part of that change.

_Cst. Walkom can be reached at (780) 421-2603 or via email at michael.walkom@edmontonpolice.ca

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