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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A city councilor's suggestion that the city should remove public benches on Franklin Avenue has reignited the debate about how to deal with loitering and public drunkenness in the downtown core.

Jill Groenewegen, owner of Bijou on 50 Street, sits on one of the sidewalk benches outside the post office Wednesday afternoon. - Cody Punter/NNSL photo

During a committee meeting on Monday, Coun. Niels Konge called for the benches to be removed because they attracted people who loiter and drink in public.

The rest of council disagreed with Konge's approach, arguing that taking away the benches would negatively affect residents, especially seniors, who use the benches. Several argued that the removal of benches would fail to solve the problem of people being drunk in public.

"Instead of sitting on the benches, they'll just sit on the ground," said Coun. Bob Brooks. "I think it's a knee-jerk reaction that will do more harm than good."

Several alternative solutions were discussed among councillors, including cleaning the streets more often, introducing a social behaviour bylaw, similar to one already in force in Calgary, and hiring of two new RCMP officers with a specific mandate to police the downtown core. RCMP in the NWT are contracted by the territorial government but Mayor Mark Heyck has broached the idea of the city hiring its own officers.

In the end, council agreed to wait until the findings of the city's social issues committee are presented at a later committee meeting.

On Wednesday afternoon, Yellowknifer spoke with several people who work and live on Franklin Avenue to get their feedback on the issue of public drunkenness and loitering downtown.

Dixie Bezaire, co-owner of Sutherlands Drugs on 50 Street, said people are afraid to come into her store when there are drunks standing near the door. She said it is not uncommon for her to have to kick people out of her store for harassing customers.

Bezaire said the city needs to hire more law enforcement officers, specifically RCMP. She also believes the RCMP needs to increase its presence on the streets.

"What we need is more foot patrols downtown, even if they're on bikes," said Bezaire.

Paul Woodward, who lives in an apartment on 50 Street, agreed that a greater police presence is required.

He also emphasized that the police should be doing patrols on foot rather than in their vehicles.

"A car is a wall," he said of police driving around downtown.

He said on some nights he has been woken up as many as five times by violent and obnoxious behaviour outside his bedroom window.

"Without exaggeration, I hear people yelling, 'They're raping me, they're beating me.' Then sometimes it's, 'How much is this going to cost? Pay me, pay me!'" said Woodward.

After the RCMP did a foot patrol earlier in August following reports on sexual assaults and violent attacks on women, the streets were calm for at least four to five nights, said Woodward.

He also suggested the city should consider moving the downtown liquor store to the other side of town. He said Whitehorse relocated its downtown liquor store and that it has helped clean up the city centre.

"It's like the pied piper," said Woodward.

Jill Groenewegen, owner of Bijou on Franklin Avenue, agreed there is a problem with public drunkenness downtown, particularly when people become aggressive.

"I can see how people with families or people who are alone would feel unsafe," said Groenewegen.

However, she believes the issue cannot be solved simply by increasing the police presence downtown.

"I think the police do a pretty good job, there's just nowhere for these people to go," she said. "If people want to drink, they can and they will."

She said rather than hiring more police officers, the city should spend money toward providing social programs to help people in need.

Linda Bussey, who chairs the city's social issues committee, said the committee is currently working hard toward finding solutions to some of the issues facing the downtown area. However, she emphasized the problem is complicated and that there is no single answer.

"It does take time to build a solid foundation and I think the way we are addressing it is long term, mid-term and short term," said Bussey.

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