The Mayor of Quesnel was an interested spectator yesterday (Monday) during the launch of the Save Our Streets Coalition or SOS.
Ron Paull says he’s a big fan because it gets the conversation going on a very important issue.
“I think it really amplifies the urgency at street level and it goes to doing something about repeat offenders. Contrary to what the government is saying it is in the public interest to make changes and to arrest and charge and convict repeat and prolific offenders, that is high on the agenda. At the end of the day this is a loud and desperate call to mainly senior levels of government because it is they that create the laws, so this is a loud and desperate call from not only the business community but there were also other municipal Mayors and Councillors and Chambers of Commerce and Downtown Associations etc, on the call, so obviously there is a pretty strong desire to turn things around here before it’s too late.”
Paull says the City of Quesnel has added police and bylaw officers, so he doesn’t feel that they’re fumbling the ball on this issue.
He says the RCMP’s hands are also tied.
“In my opinion we need to replace our woke judiciary and their revolving door catch and release attitude in addition to the rampant decriminalization of just about everything, so I am really on board with this, and I’ll be paying very close attention to what comes out of the Save our Streets coalition.”
Paull says while the announcement was made in Vancouver, it is an issue that is having a negative impact everywhere in the province, including Quesnel.
“It really got my hackles up when the lawn bowling club got broken into and robbed and the latest one was a smash and grab at Walk Rite Shoes, and since that time I’ve gone and talked to the manager of Walk Rite Shoes. I mean I don’t have the answers. Even in my election campaign I said that I didn’t have the answers and way back then, and this was more than a year ago, I was advocating for a group such as the Save Our Street Coalition so that we could collaborate and cooperate together in search of solutions for this problem.”
Paull encourages people to go to the SOS website at saveourstreets.com.
“I would encourage your listeners to go in and have a look at that and I’m pretty sure that there is opportunity for public input and public suggestions and ideas through that website.”
Williams Lake City Council has been very vocal on the issue of repeat offenders as well over the past several years.
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