Street Scene

A Message From Save Our Streets Co-Founders

As so many attempt to get a break and enjoy a summer slowdown, the crime and violence and community disruptions we are all so concerned about continue. In some instances, in some regions, we have seen an escalation of problems, while in others, there’s been some indication of improvement, but only time will tell. The bottom line is that the problems are far from solved and far too many people are suffering as a result. In too many communities, families continue to be nervous about safety in their own neighbourhoods. Because of safety issues, businesses have trouble retaining not only their customer base but also their employees.  That doesn’t even consider the dramatic cost increases resulting from theft, damages and additional security costs, which result in increased costs to consumers. Some businesses have been forced to close and that results in lost jobs, lost services and lost revenue to government.

Much of the public narrative driven by media coverage and social media has rightfully focused on those among us suffering from addiction and mental illnesses, the crimes they commit to support their illness, and the criminals who prey upon the sick. Unacceptable doesn’t begin to describe that situation. Of course, there is a significant array of crimes that is impacting our communities that are not illness-related and we cannot lose sight of the need to address them as well.

The SOS Save Our Streets coalition has grown to over 100 organizations because of a shared recognition that as a larger community we have not been successful in addressing these problems and we are now in crisis. These organizations represent community groups and businesses from every region of our province. SOS and its community partners must drive change. Well-meaning government officials at all levels must stop pointing the finger at other levels of government and get to the table together to identify and implement solutions. There are solutions but there must be the political will to make the investments and policy changes necessary to bring them to fruition. We believe establishing that political will means not only highlighting the problems but helping governments assess the human and financial costs of not rectifying them and, equally important, supporting government in making the necessary investments and changes.

We hope this newsletter will not only inform you on what SOS is doing but encourage you to be involved in our efforts to drive important change.

In this segment of our newsletter, we will link to recent news articles we believe represent the circumstances we are attempting to influence, as well as media coverage of SOS.  From time to time we will provide comments updates and context to stories.

Recent media coverage includes:

From time to time, we will invite members of the SOS Save Our Streets coalition and others to submit an editorial informing us of circumstances being experienced in their communities. Some will speak to the seriousness of the issues, while others will speak to what has worked to provide relief. In today’s newsletter, we begin with two editorials that provide a province-wide perspective on retail crime and a local perspective from Nelson.

In this segment of our newsletter, it is our intent to highlight research and government and non-government reports by linking you to them unedited and in their entirety. We will also provide you with our thoughts in the hope of providing some important context.