Edmonton residents have experienced a series of violent acts and crimes over the past several months, from fatal stabbings to public shootings to hate crimes leaving the public feeling unsafe, despite officials continually stating they are doing their best.
Experts and members of the community are saying the root cause needs to be addressed.
Temitope Oriola, a criminology professor at the University of Alberta, says what we are seeing is the end result of a series of underlying social problems.
“Violent crime, in particular, is a manifestation of much deeper social malaise,” he stated. “Therefore, what we’re seeing are symptoms of underlying problems in society — issues in relation to social deprivation, what criminologists call ‘concentrated disadvantage’ in certain neighbourhoods, gang activities … While it is absolutely necessary we deal with the symptoms, it is also important that we deal with the broader underlying problems.”
In order to deal with these issues, Oriola says all branches of government and the community need to work together, shifting from jurisdictional battles between the province and city to a more “operational approach.”
He gave the example of the man who was charged with killing two men in Chinatown last year. The man was experiencing homelessness and had been court-ordered to seek psychiatric help but there was no availability in the facilities.
“Gaps in the system are dangerous, and we’re seeing the manifestation of those gaps,” Oriola said.
Years and years of budget cuts to social service programming are also leading to an uptick in violence, he said, using the same incident as an example to showcase what can happen when mental health facilities are full and additional spaces haven’t been created.
It’s important, he added, that, while violence is first treated by police, it isn’t just a police problem and it’s not up to the Edmonton Police Service exclusively to solve It’s a society and government issue, too.
The perception of crime, on the other hand, is something that is not always in sync with actual criminal and violent activity, Oriola said.
Charli Monaghan, a 17-year-old LRT rider, said riding the train in the north end of the city is “scary” and she gets hit on and stared at a lot by older men.
“I don’t really feel safe,” she said, adding she doesn’t want to go out as much anymore since hearing about the uptick in violence across the city.
“Incidents like the shooting at West Edmonton Mall, the killing of that father of seven, the killing in Chinatown last year, all of this in the mind’s eye of the members of society would suggest an unsafe and insecure environment. Those perceptions are not formed or sustained in a vacuum. It’s important to recognize those perceptions and fear that goes with them are legitimate concerns,” Oriola said.
Monaghan said her sister was at the mall during Monday’s shooting, making the event even scarier.
“Lots of my friends live on the north side and they always talk about all the scary stuff that’s been happening, with being followed and stalked by random people. We just talk about how unsafe it is a lot of the time,” she said.
It’s a delicate balance, Oriola said, for officials in ensuring the public is aware of incidents but also not inciting fear mongering.
Monaghan, who has lived in Edmonton for about 13 years, said she’s noticed more recently how unsafe she feels, especially as she travels around the city.
“It’s a little bit disheartening to see all the crime,” she said. “I think we should talk about why there’s a bunch of crime now, and I think it’s because of the rise of poverty and the rise of homelessness in Edmontonians.”
Isaiah Neil, who was born and raised in Edmonton, said he’s really noticed the change in violence.
“It really has to do with the homeless population, not that it’s their fault, just that the two co-relate together. I think that’s the main issue is that people are going houseless and it’s having a big issue on safety,” he said.
As a self-proclaimed “bigger guy” he said riding the train is a bit different for him, but even then he often doesn’t feel safe and says there are certain stations he won’t stop at.
“To be honest, it makes me want to move,” said the native Edmontonian. “I don’t like being here. Yeah, not every city is safe, but I feel like there’s just such a lack of things being done about it that it’s just like a norm now for the city.
“As much as city council wants to say they’re doing things, I don’t feel like we’re hitting the root of the issue.”
— With files from Sarah Komadina, Global News