While fewer crimes have been reported in 2024 than in 2023 in New Westminster, public safety is a concern for some residents and businesses.
Across British Columbia, community members have expressed concern about public use of illicit drugs and random assaults. In New Westminster, some businesses that have closed shop have cited public safety as being among the factors contributing to their decision to close.
The Record sent out questionnaires with a series of questions to the three candidates in New Westminster-Coquitlam: Maureen Curran (BC Green Party), Ndellie Massey (Conservative Party), and Jennifer Whiteside (BC NDP). Only Curran and Whiteside responded to our questionnaire.
Here are the Green and NDP candidates’ responses to the question: What do you think is the biggest public safety concern in New Westminster-Coquitlam and how will you address it?
Maureen Curran, BC Green Party
Public safety has two areas: one is to do with crime and perception of safety on our streets, and the other is much broader, considering readiness for external events.
While overall crime rates have gone down, we know that there have been an increase in certain types of crimes, notably traffic related crimes and some that are due to vagrancy and mental health. The latter is a failure to provide adequate treatment and housing for people with addictions and mental health issues since they end up stuck with no where to be except our public spaces. Providing more services, mobile mental health units and safe places to be during the day while we wait for proper housing to be completed is one measure I would like to see implemented. We need to be proactive here and not be pointlessly wasting police resources on something that is a failure of our public health service systems.
The other public safety issues that cannot be forgotten are ones that often get overlooked by the general public, because they are not something we encounter very often. However, as an MLA it is my job to make sure all municipalities are adequately prepared to handle future heat dome events and other climate related risks. Last time we were caught unawares, but the next time there can be no excuse for allowing unnecessary deaths. We need provincial policies to protect workers from heat just like we do from other dangerous situations and we need plans and …
Jennifer Whiteside, BC NDP
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community.
Our cities are struggling with the heavy challenges of toxic drugs, homelessness, and mental health crises. David Eby is taking action to fight crime and keep people safe and communities strong. We’re focused on attacking root causes.
We’re expanding access to mental health and addiction services, enhancing community-based supports and treatment options, and investing in supportive housing to help individuals before they reach a crisis point, reducing pressure on emergency services and preventing crime.
To tackle the disorder on our streets, we’re introducing services like the peer-assisted care teams, including here in New West, to ensure people in crisis get the right help while police focus on crime. We’re supporting businesses by helping cover costs for property crime prevention and cleaning up vandalism, and we’re increasing resources for community policing to address street-level issues.
We’re also investing in complex care housing to provide intensive support for those with severe mental health and addiction challenges, helping them stabilize their lives. Additionally, our repeat violent offender intervention hubs hold offenders accountable, keeping them in custody or connecting them to services to break the cycle of crime.
Police reports show these actions are starting to make a difference. We are going to keep taking action to ensure people face consequences for violent acts and that there are strong intervention services to tackle root causes and help people break the cycle.
Note: Responses extending past the question’s 250-word limit are noted by ellipses. (…)
