Pubdate: Thu, 19 Sep 2002
Source: Abbotsford News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2002 Hacker Press Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.abbynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1155
Author: Russ Akins

TIME TO 'CLEAN UP ABBOTSFORD'

"They cleaned up New York - now it's time to clean up Abbotsford,'' says a 
resident of a Clearbrook neighbourhood plagued by prostitution, drug 
dealers and vandalism.

Cheryl Sarkozy of Pineview Street was among petitioners appearing before 
Abbotsford city councillors this week, urging them to enforce and 
strengthen existing bylaws - and come up with a "social development plan'' 
for B.C.'s fifth largest city.

In response, Abbotsford's deputy mayor says a public meeting will be held 
on the "urban decay issues'' facing the city at council chambers within the 
month.

A petition with close to 1,400 names was presented to council Monday night, 
which bluntly stated the "noxious and offensive'' sex trade in Abbotsford 
endangers the health and welfare of innocent young lives. Seven hundred 
names were gathered at Meadowfair Mall alone, Sarkozy told the Abbotsford News.

"We're just asking them to help save our neighbourhood,'' she said this 
week. "A ghetto begins with one house at a time.''

One house on Pineview, now vacant, was a particular nuisance as it 
attracted prostitutes, but neighbours banded together to put pressure on 
the landlord. In response to the concerns raised Monday night, council has 
asked staff to prepare a public meeting at Matsqui Centennial Auditorium to 
address what elected officials agree is an extremely serious problem facing 
the city.

In the absence of Mayor George Ferguson, Deputy Mayor Ed Fast chaired 
Monday's council proceedings.

Ferguson was at a meeting of Lower mainland mayors in Vancouver, and had "a 
very legitimate excuse'' not to be at the meeting, said Fast.

October's meeting will address what he calls "urban decay issues'' that are 
an "extremely serious problem facing the city.

"We need an entirely new look at what we're doing,'' he said, saying bylaw 
enforcement officers and police will be asked to see how they can push the 
envelope of enforcement.

Part of that new look is an option recently introduced by the city - a 
"good neighbour policy,'' which a landlord can be required to sign.

"It gives the city authority to walk in and take action if any problems 
occur,'' said Fast.

Mickey's convenience store on Gladys has signed such an agreement, said 
Fast, after its business licence was pulled by the city because of liquor 
on the premises.

"We're absolutely committed to addressing this issue,'' Fast stressed. As 
for prostitution in particular, he is in favour of a program of regular 
stings: "So that on any given night, the johns know that one of the girls 
they may be picking up is a police officer. ''

Said Sarkozy: "I think Ed Fast is starting to realize it's not just 
Pineview Street. Pimps are actively recruiting young girls. As neighbours, 
every time we see a young girl, we wonder, is she one?''

And her neighbourhood is not the only one facing such problems.

Ricky Skene has lived on north McCallum Road for 24 years, and while there 
are good neighbours who own their homes, there are landlords - such as the 
owner of a derelict property on Nelson - who are attracting bad elements to 
the area.

"We're one of four or five neighbourhood groups that are angry and becoming 
active,'' she told the Abbotsford News this week.

"We're looking for leadership from the mayor and city council - we want to 
know there's some kind of plan.''

While there has been support for her neighbourhood's crime problems from 
the Integrated Services team and the Abbotsford Downtown Business 
Association, an influx of transients, drug dealers and prostitutes have 
caused the residents to form their own silent Neighbourhood Watch, writing 
down the licence plates of suspicious vehicles.

Coun. John Redekop is cautious on a bylaw approach to urban decay: "I would 
want to consider very carefully how far we could go. Only the federal and 
provincial governments deal with crime.''

However, he added: "We can through police powers have a sting operation, 
and I favour frequent or even perpetual sting operations.''

Two stings were performed by Abbotsford Police undercover officers in the 
1990s.

Lenient sentencing by the courts also play a role in the urban decay 
problem, Redekop believes, as fines for marijuana grow operations are 
frequently considered "the cost of doing business.''

Redekop hopes the meeting at MCA will include as many community groups as 
possible.

"The courts, police, school board, religious organizations - we all have to 
address this problem.''
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