Breakenridge: Calgary shouldn't let complex social issues sidetrack it from making transit safer now yyc yyccc
Some of the pushback on council comes from those who see such measures as ignoring or failing to address some of the underlying issues that contribute to these problems. Coun. Courtney Walcott lamented, “We’re often concerned about policing our way out of it and forcing our way out of it … these people are there because those systems have failed too.”
It’s a fair point to note that the current crime and public safety problems in Calgary, like in other Canadian cities, do indeed have root causes and will have to be addressed. But in the context of public safety on public transit, the arguments are much less relevant.Article content Calgary Transit’s job is pretty narrow and it doesn’t involve solving complex social issues or providing social services. Calgary Transit exists to provide a specific service to the public and that service should come with some expectation that it can be used safely. City council doesn’t have to choose between addressing these two issues.
If council feels that homelessness, addiction and poverty need to be addressed, then there are avenues for them to do so. If council believes that the police or other agencies need additional funding to address public safety or underlying root causes, funds can be allocated accordingly. In the meantime, though,In fairness to city council, this shouldn’t fall entirely on its lap.
There is obviously a cost to all of this, not to mention the resource challenges inherent in implementing solutions. But ignoring the problem could arguably prove to be far more costly.
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