CAMPBELL RIVER, B.C- Downtown businesses are seeing success in their drive for more police presence.
The Business Improvement Association (BIA) met yesterday evening to discuss progress of their petition for a police presence in Campbell River’s downtown area.
In a statement sent to the group, Deputy City Manager Ron Neufeld said he had been tasked with investigating the issue and providing council with some options for action.
Neufeld also noted that the city had appointed a “community safety consultant” who had been conducting interviews with various stakeholders and the RCMP.
“I was pleased there’s actions happening and that they retained this safety expert,” said Heather Gordon Murphy, co-chair of the BIA.
“We have been assured by the RCMP that there will be a police presence down here. We feel they will do the best they can.”
Prior to the evening’s meeting, members of the association were delayed by a fatal overdose at the Campbell River Public Library downtown.
The petition is aimed at addressing issues of vandalism, public drunkenness and crime in the downtown core.
It’s gained 698 signatures is just over a month.
While she felt the BIA and the city have had “really good communication”, the co-chair said the petition wouldn’t be going away .
“If we don’t feel things are moving fast enough and we don’t feel there is a call to action, then we will present this to council as a group.”
You can find the petition at this website.
