There was a good turn out for this week’s round table discussion on community safety in Trail. Residents were invited to discuss their experiences with crime which will help the Community Safety Task Force develop a strategic plan.
Task Force Chair and City Councillor Sandy Santori and says it was almost a full house and he was encouraged by the level of interest as it’s important to have public input on the issue.
“People were becoming frustrated and they are concerned, and I think they needed a vehicle to vent and to share their stories and share with us what they see on a day to day basis,” said Santori.
A lot of that feedback related to petty crime.
“Most of these crimes, that are consistent with statistics, are petty crimes. Although they’re petty they’re still invasive on people, people feel violated and they have property stolen,” added Santori.
Violent crime wasn’t an issue that was brought up, which Santori says is also consistent with statistics. Discussions also centered around mental illness, poverty, and drug addiction. Santori felt there was understanding that the issue is complex and will take time to manage and is beyond the work of a single organization.