The end of a pilot project addressing crime and disorder in Chinatown is causing concern among some community members, but police say their work will continue.
The Healthy Streets Operations Centre (HSOC) — a $15.2 million collaboration between the city, social service agencies and emergency workers set up two years ago — ends in December.
But the Edmonton Police Service says their multidisciplinary approach, which also connects vulnerable community members to social supports, will carry on with internal funding.
“The area will continue to be supported by EPS and other resources from the City of Edmonton and community partners,” Cheryl Voordenhout, police spokesperson, wrote in an email.
The murders of two men in Edmonton’s Chinatown has spurred community members to demand action in making the area safer. Their pleas have led to council approving funding for community support and the province ordering city officials to come up with a plan to address crime.
On Wednesday, city council’s executive committee reviewed a multifaceted strategy to improve safety, wellness and vibrancy in Chinatown, which includes Healthy Streets, initiated after a random attack killed Hung Trang, 64, in May 2022.
Long-time resident Georgina Fiddler, who lives two blocks away from the operational hub at 98th Street and 108th Avenue, warned that Chinatown still has a long way to go.
“We’ve got children that can’t play in the front or back of their yards here because of the unsafe and criminal activity by drug users that occurs 24/7 every day,” she said.
“People passed out in doorways of storefronts. Angry individuals yelling, screaming, smashing windows in broad daylight … There’s ambulances roaring by all times of the day past my building to overdoses in the alleys. There’s needles and human feces out my back door.”
But Sandy Pon, board chair of the Chinatown Transformation Collaborative Society, said she has seen improvements. She hopes the end of the program won’t be a step back.
Pon said a permanent police presence is needed because their compassionate, proactive approach has been a major deterrent.
“We see the big difference and it’s more positive over the last couple of years having them here,” Pon told CBC News.
“Knowing that there is a police presence in the area, people will come and shop and walk along the street. They will come and decide to live in the area and businesses will thrive knowing there’s a level of safety, comfort and confidence.”
‘Confidence back’
According to Wilson Wong, co-owner of Van Loc Vietnamese Submarine, confidence is already returning, thanks in large part to the entrepreneurial spirit of his community.
Last year Van Loc hosted more than 40 micro events. Since July, his marketing team has also tracked 340 new people who visited Chinatown from Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver.
“We’ve brought confidence back into a specific, yet a small area of Chinatown for young families to visit,” Wong said.
“But we have to start somewhere now by inspiring the population with our actions. This has brought new and older generations back into our Chinatown core, like my mom and dad.”
Police said other communities throughout Edmonton will reap the benefits of the recent project in Chinatown.
HSOC showed the effectiveness of a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach in addressing community safety and wellness concerns, so this approach will continue in the future where there are issues identified by citizens or statistical data,” Voordenhout said.
“Efficiencies identified during HSOC are also helping EPS develop strategies to address similar issues throughout the city.”