Lethbridge business owner calls for better leadership, asks council to “find the money” for more law enforcement

Heggie said he understood how important those lives are, but once some of those who use the SCS leave the site they “feel the law doesn’t apply to them anywhere…without enforcement, there is no respect for the law.”

And he called for more money to be directed towards the LPS, and for better leadership from Lethbridge City Council.

“When we went to council last week, we were told, there is no more money. I say to council, find the money. Look at the budget and find it. We need someone to come forward and take charge, please.

“How far do things have to deteriorate before someone steps up and takes responsibility and says, ‘let’s fix this.’ I understand letters have been sent to both provincial and federal governments. That’s a start. However, we were hoping for a little bit more than that, a little more than a letter.”

Heggie then suggested that a sort of delegation be sent to Edmonton and to Ottawa to ‘bend every ear that will listen…knock on every door.’

“If they don’t answer the door, let’s kick it in,” he said.

He continued telling the commission that he and others are tired of hearing how the crisis is affecting many other jurisdictions across the country.

“What happened to being leaders? Why can’t we be the community that finds solutions. Why can’t we be the example of how to fix this?”

Police Chief Rob Davis welcomed the call for more money and resources.

“I want to thank them for doing that presentation. They’re sending a loud and clear message to council as well as commission that we need additional resources. It sounds like they’re supportive of our initiatives like the Ambassador Watch Program, extra boots on the ground…. I’m glad they did that. Sounds like they’re supportive of where we want to take the police service to help support them and make the downtown and the city safe.”

Davis said that the LPS would be presenting its own budget requests at a Finance Committee meeting Nov. 5, just two weeks before the four-year Operating Budget deliberations get underway.

“Quite often when police services make the pitch in isolation it’s easy to be dismissed as ‘well, of course they want more.’ Whereas when you have community groups like the BRZ, Heart of the City different people coming forward from the community advocating for that, because it shows it’s not just the police asking for more in isolation, it’s because it’s a legitimate community concern.”

“We can’t wait until the Spring to get help,” said Heggie. “We need help, now.”

When asked by one commissioner whether the BRZ was aware of any businesses that had moved, Modgan replied that there were some that had moved to get to a “better spot,” and that others were also considering moving out of the downtown.

by Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twitter

Lethbridge business owner calls for better leadership, asks council to “find the money” for more law enforcement

What's Happening