A home in west Edmonton caught a terrifying encounter on a family’s doorstep on surveillance video. An unknown man rang the doorbell aggressively multiple times during the dinner hour, before kicking through the front door in a matter of seconds.
Residents said the recent disturbing home invasion shows just how brazen criminals have become and the disorder and crime is fuelling frustrations in several west Edmonton neighbourhoods.
It’s one of many incidents shared daily with neighbours in Parkview and Crestwood — mature neighbourhoods near the river valley that for decades have been a desirable place to own a home.
Christy Wigger has lived in the area for 21 years and said she has seen more problems in the past six months.
“Terrifying it makes me wanna move, but I don’t know where else is better,” Wigger said.
“Our garage door was pried open like the large door, and we had significant items stolen, like multiple bikes, lots of tools.”
Neighbours said they’re seeing more homelessness, more disorder and they say that’s leading to more crime.
“My neighbour across the street actually had a guy come later in the evening — she was already in bed as she’s older,” Wigger said.
“He put up a little tent and slept on her front lawn and then proceeded to use her hose next morning to have a shower.”
Ward Nakota Isga coun. Andrew Knack said the number one issue he hears for his constituents isn’t taxes — it’s housing and homelessness.
“But unfortunately, from a municipal side of things, we have very limited capacity to deal with that… limited in terms of financial and more importantly, limited in terms of actual legal authority,” Knack said.
Knack said closing down homeless encampments just pushes the problem elsewhere.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a wealthy neighbourhood or a lower income neighborhood, it’s happening everywhere now,” Knack said.
Knack said the solution is clear but the province needs to step in.
“Get the folks who are hard criminals into jails, make sure they stay in jail… everyone else get them into treatment, get them into housing,” Knack said.
In the meantime, people living in these west Edmonton communities want support.
“It would be nice to see more police in the neighborhood,” Wigger said.