Do you feel safe? That’s a question that Candidate Cari Penner wants Steinbach citizens to address when looking at rising criminal activity in the city. She contends that due to the rise in break-ins, assaults, car thefts and robberies, it has become an issue that can no longer be ignored. She alleges that it is a concern shared by young and old alike, with many residents acquiring alarm systems for their homes and thinking twice about walking alone at night. Penner claims these concerns were nearly unheard of as little as just 15 years ago.
She says, “I would support a safety strategy for Steinbach that would give its residents a voice in their community. There are other signs that we are a growing city other than increased traffic, schools bursting at the seams or long wait times at our clinics and hospitals. As with any growing city, we are also experiencing the rise of criminal incidents, in our schools, homes and businesses. A strategy plan where we assess community safety and how we address it makes a lot of sense.”
She recently spoke with Constable Kevin Wynn, community liaison officer at our local RCMP detachment. Constable Wynn is working to establish good connections with our schools and his goal is to educate the students about the effects of drugs as well as how they can stay away from them as they navigate through the upcoming grades. He believes that if we help young people understand and deal with this issue, then our city becomes a safer, better place for everyone.
In a recent conversation with Constable Wynn, Penner heard some statistics supportive of this trend. In a constructive view, she asserts these statistics can shed some light on what we can do to counteract a growing problem.
“Some 75% of local crime is drug driven.” Penner says. That means that when your house is burglarized, your car is stolen, or your store is robbed, it likely has a direct correspondence to the drug trade. “Another statistic Penner found unsettling was the fact that most of these crimes are committed by youth under the age of 25. “Our youth are at risk of becoming the targets of drug pushers, or at risk of becoming the pushers themselves” she states, “I had to ask myself, what can our city do to counteract this trend?”
“Everyone deserves to live in a safe community”, Penner states. “As a member of city council, I will make it a priority to work with people like Constable Wynn to do everything we can to make our city safer. I believe we need to work at this now, not later. That’s what crime prevention is all about.”
