A walkway off Dunning Crescent in North Battleford. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

In the chambers

Residents concerned about property vandalism, crime near city walkways

May 13, 2020 | 4:00 PM

Some residents are asking the city to close some of its community walkways in North Battleford following incidents of vandalism and other crimes.

The city received two applications and several phone calls from residents in the Centennial Park neighbourhood addressing concerns about criminal activity in the area who believe crime could be reduced with walkway closures.

Resident Jim LaFreniere submitted a letter expressing his issues and said he would like to see the walkways closed.

The Dunning Crescent resident said he is aware of a recent attempted break and enter in the area. In other instances, some residents had their tires slashed, he said.

A walkway is shown connecting to an alleyway near Dunning Crescent. (Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

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LaFreniere said the walkways are narrow, dark at night, and connect to back alleyways — providing an easy opportunity for crimes to happen.

“They are a quick access from one street to another for people who are using it for legitimate reasons, like going out for a nice walk. I totally understand the concept behind them,” he told battlefordsNOW. “But they are very poorly designed, and right now they are not very safe given the crimes we’re seeing in our community as of late.”

Another family made a request to council to close the walkway off Gardiner Drive, and offered to purchase a section of walkway located beside their home.

North Battleford council voted unanimously against the walkway closure proposal.

Mayor Ryan Bater said the city needs to hold an open house with residents to look into the issue. One was planned for March but it had to be cancelled due to the province’s COVID-19 precautions. In order to close a walkway, the city would need to issue a public notice, pass a bylaw and hold a public hearing.

Bater said it’s a complex issue.

“Walkways are how people access green spaces or parks,” he said. “They are also about how people access different blocks within a neighbourhood. They are actually very important in terms of walkability and liveability within the city. However concerns are being raised about accessibility to back alleys at night. So, it is an important conversation to have. We are investigating how to have this conversation.”

Bater said city officials still want to meet with the community about the walkways issue, and are looking for a means to do that at a future date.

City planner Ryan Mackrell stated in his report that closing one walkway “will likely be counterproductive as the adjoining walkways will be open and come to dead ends.”

The city’s administration will now look into what can be done to increase safety on the walkways, such as by improving lighting and ensuring they are clear of any debris, and implementing some Crime Prevention through Environmental Design methods.

The issue will be further discussed at the city’s planning committee meeting in June.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow