Vandalism costs city $8,100 in 2023
Council considers prevention initiatives
Crime is not only affecting business properties in the city, but municipally owned facilities as well, staff found in 2023. Although the problem has been occurring for years, in March 2023 city staff began monitoring vandalism incidents, according to a report submitted to council at the February 26 regular meeting.
The costs to the city for replacement and repair following these incidents were $8,100 for the year. This total did not consider the staff time required to investigate, make spaces safe, or arrange to have the repairs carried out. Some of the repairs were able to be completed by staff, while others required skilled contractors to complete.
“Vandalism is very costly to the community,” said Councillor Tony Zabinsky. “We have to do better in our community – we live in it; we have to protect it.”
Washrooms in park spaces around town have received the most repeated damage, with 23 incidents reported between March and December. Seventy percent were outdoors, while 30 percent were in the washrooms themselves. The damage to park washrooms accounted for 27 percent of the vandalism in the city.
The city is looking at several initiatives to reduce the amount of vandalism occurring at city-owned facilities. One of these is hiring security during the summer months, which cost the city $30,000 in 2023. Security patrolled Centennial Park, Matthews Park, the Skate Park, and Dog Park, for about eight hours per day, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. The report said that they will likely add Kin Park to the list of patrols in 2024.
Apart from security patrols, Director of Community Services, Karin Carlson reported that the city is looking at other measures to combat the incidents of vandalism.
"We’re hoping that with the changes we’re making through IT programming that we’re implementing in civic properties and facilities that we’ll also be able to track the costs related to the staffing component, in addition to contractors and replacement equipment,” Carlson told council on Monday.
In addition, there are two initiatives that are still in their infancy that might provide some help, Carlson said. These should be up and running within a couple of years.
Economic development has had some initiatives regarding lighting in the downtown core, and Carlson thinks that an increase in pedestrian traffic in on 100 Street will help deter vandals.
Councillor Trevor Bolin noted that in the past there were programs that were effective in reducing vandalism and other crime in the city.
“Back when Inspector Eagan was here, the RCMP put bike patrols in the downtown area. Crime in the downtown slowed down to almost nothing,” Bolin said. “Maybe that’s something we can look at doing again when we get a new Inspector.”
Council hopes that these measures, coupled with the re-launch of Citizens on Patrol in 2023, which functions as extra eyes and ears for the RCMP, will serve as deterrents.