NANAIMO — Mid Island residents gathered once again to rally in support of improving public safety.
About 175 people descended on Diana Krall Plaza in Nanaimo on Thursday, April 27 at noon, another in a string of public safety events which have occurred in Nanaimo this year.
Clint Smith, the local business owner who was shot in the stomach in March when he and a group entered a homeless encampment to look for stolen items was the event’s primary speaker.
He said big policy changes are needed at every level of government in order to cut down on prolific offenders.
“Our law enforcement resources are wasted, our ability to process and move forward and try to heal the community is completely removed when we have the same people day in day out, multiple offences per day, it absolutely completely makes no sense.”
He said he has heard from a lot of “feed-up and frustrated people” who have attended these rallies, who share the rallying cry of ‘enough is enough’ to demand meaningful change from all levels of government to address the situation.
Property crimes were the aim of Smith’s address, pointing to vulnerable business operators held hostage to a minority of repeat offenders who aren’t being held accountable.
A recent run of smashed windows, particularly in Nanaimo’s downtown core, has elevated frustration levels.
“The more people that are aware, the more people pay attention to it, even the people who live in so-called ‘safe neighbourhoods’ who have a pretty neutral opinion as to what’s going on, their awareness increases when other people are suffering in their communities, so maybe it’ll actually make sense to move forward and fix the root causes of the problem.”
Similar rallies were being held at the same time across the province, including in Victoria, Surrey, Dawson Creek, Penticton, and Kamloops.
Clint Smith stands by numerous signs featured at the rally aimed at the provincial and federal governments. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW).Residents who attended the rally echoed some of Smith’s concerns.
Nanaimo resident Rita said she was in attendance to support Smith, who’s been her mechanic and neighbour for a number of years.
“I’m here to support all the business people that wanted to be here but couldn’t. We need help in our town. I don’t feel safe. We need to have better communication with the RCMP to know what to do to keep these people behind bars.”
Wendy from Lantzville said she would like to see offenders with addictions get a choice between jail or rehab.
“We want to support Clint because this is all gotten out of hand, and this catch and release has to stop and something has to be done. I think we’re giving these guys way too much, I don’t know, and they don’t want it, so what’s the answer?”
Garth from Ladysmith said he was there to support the cause, saying “it’s pretty scary to go downtown these days, and things have to change.”
“I think we need support for the people who are the cause of the issues. I think that a lot of it is people have been dumped back on the street with no support for mental health or addictions. There’s some, but obviously not enough, and we’re living through the result.”
Nanaimo mayor Leonard Krog and councillors Sheryl Armstrong and Ian Thorpe were also in attendance.
Krog got behind the microphone near the end of the rally.
“I look at this crowd…and what I’ve heard from the speakers it all gets back to the same thing…we recognize we have a criminal problem, acts committed by people who should be in jail, and held in custody pending trial if they’re out for violent offences, we all agree on that.”
Krog went on to repeat comments he’s made in the past regarding these situations about how governments past and present at all levels share the blame for the current situation regarding the toxic drug crisis, along with mental health and housing issues.
“It’s not a blame game. Every government of every stripe has participated in the closing of institutional care and the cessation of the services people in dire straits needed. That’s not political, that’s just the truth.”
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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com
On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow
