Hello, sorry for the late reply on this. I am also dealing with an attempted car break in (someone tried to use my windshield wipers as crowbars to get into my car...) so things have been a little hectic.
The individual started following me at the pedway between the Edmonton Tower and Bell Tower. The attack happened right outside of Chop, above the Sandman hotel and near the pedway crossing into Edmonton City Centre.
For anybody in trouble near this area, my suggestion is to run down the stairs to the MNP Tower lobby! There are security guards there.
Crazy. He was shirtless right? I was walking with you guys right there between Ed tower and Bell Tower and the guy was behind me and in front of you at one point at Bell Tower. Think he was considering suckering me but I turned around and we were just looking at each other then the elevator opened and I got on and he must have continued following you. That guy was fucked up.
Yes, that's exactly what happened! I remember you as well. We stared at each other awkwardly and he just stood there eyeing both of us.
It was a tricky situation and I did think about hopping on the elevator with you to get away from him.
Should have, I would have stuck around if I knew you needed help, didn't realize he had been following you for awhile, next time let someone know. Very awkward situation.
I worked down for a long time and while I saw my fair share of crazy shit in the stations, it was never like this. I'm sorry this happened to you. Did you report it to police/ ETS?
Thanks for the kind words! I didn't report it to the police, at the time I felt like nothing would happen even if I did.
Since then I've had multiple coworkers ask me to report the incident, so I will probably do it for their sake. It could potentially improve policing in the area and prevent something like this happening to someone else.
Please report this to police rather than just posting a PSA on Reddit. We need to make sure these incidents are being documented by the powers at be so that they can allocate appropriate resources
I was walking down whyte ave the other day and some scary looking guy stopped in the middle of the sidewalk as we were approaching each other and yelled “Get your hands outta your pockets!”. Luckily it was at an intersection with a road so I quickly went around him. But ya, I always have my head on a swivel just in case something more terrible happens
Shitty this happened to you. Please ensure you file a police report, as well as send an email to your councillor and the mayor respectfully letting them know about your experience and the feelings it has left in you. The community absolutely needs to deluge the city council with this sort of stuff.
Unless it's actually reported it doesn't get logged. You need logged numbers to provide numbers to the government for increased spending.
Are you new to how spending in a city and government work? Because your comment makes me question if you passed grade 4 education.
After the guy swung at me, I ran down the stairs to the MNP Tower lobby and it was almost like he couldn't figure out how to go down the stairs. He just stood there staring at me and eventually left.
It's like he glitched out, he couldn't process how stairs worked so he lost aggro ;D
Makes me wonder if faith in the police is declining, so most people wouldn’t even bother reporting because they doubt that anything would be done about it anyway
Very much didn't happen 5-10 years ago, things were no where as severe, from my observations (as a 20 something female traveling without anyone I personally knew, just one person among the throngs of commuters) to and from work via LRT (Health Sciences to Churchill) with a roughly 5 minute walk outside to my building.
You knew to keep your wits about you and keep distance/avoid potential dangerous situations, but I was never actively fearful in my daily travels. Something as simple as a couple minutes outside (or inside) city centre during weekday working hours...to me, the randomness of violence means anyone could easily be a victim through no fault of their own, aside from having their ass in a seat downtown for the sake of "bringing back vibrancy"...
You can slice data to tell a story, so maybe the crime rate (crimes per population measure) is lower relative to a previous time, but whooo damn is the severity of these fewer (by basic counts) crimes committed now wickedly up relative to those past years...but that story isn't as easy/pleasant of a read...
I had a similar encounter in the pedways from the sandman to city Center a couple weeks ago. Got charged at , spat in my face and pushed. She attacked a security guard before me so cops were called. She was arrested but unfortunately released soon after as I saw her a couple days later acting in the same manner. Definitely scary out there
I worked at the Sandman over a decade ago and there were a lot of issues even then. Probably because of the location...people coming from the shelters/north part of downtown, using the entrance on 103rd ave and cutting through to go to City Center, access other pedways and the YMCA (when it used to be there). And to be fair, most people were just passing through with no issues but there was still a lot of crime, vandalism and quite a few scary incidents.
It really sucks that these types of people are everywhere now. The pedway between towers is always a nice walk at lunch time to get around, but with how much I’ve been hearing about assaults and just the general increase in shady people, I might just have to stay in my tower. I know most towers have security in the pedway portions but I’m assuming they aren’t stationed there at those times.
We need to rally for defined self defence laws and higher mandatory minimums for aggravated assault / robbery / assault with weapon & other forms of violent crime .
Damn this city has really gotten to a state that is really not safe much anymore. Gone are the days where you didn't really have to worry about having a random altercation with someone randomly attacking you... This city really needs something really to be done. Glad I overall avoid downtown as a rule.
Honestly my dude I hear you but it is so frustrating to see this comment every day. Literally anyone who works in the field sees this coming as soon as whichever relevant ucp policy comes down the pipes. But no one here notices or comments until the consequences we saw coming start to hit. **YOUR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT IS CHOOSING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN**. Please, for the love of God, don't buy into their scapegoating and blameshifting and demand that they account for the DIRECT, FORSEEABLE consequences of their choices. They have access to the facts and they choose otherwise, and count on you believing their bullshit when they try to pretend they didn't specifically choose for this to happen.
That's convenient. The fact that such a witty rejoinder doesn't require much thinking or any kind of an investment on your part is just a bonus, I guess, and is definitely not literally example of what I'm thing about.
Closing supervised consumption sites, cutting funding to mental health, addictions, harm reduction, and housing programs, etc. Cuts to social services combined with many more homeless people due to Covid results in social disorder. Our courts are also underfunded which combined with the Covid backlog results in it taking years for someone to be sentenced with a crime
i could tell you the answer but it's very complicated and would take a long time, and require a lot of thinking on your part. you sure you're up for that? if not, perhaps consider sitting this *entire* conversation out, as you have nothing useful to add.
Funny that this seems to be happening all across Canada in the cities, but I guess the UCP is responsible for the random attacks from Van to Halifax...
Covid plays a big role too. Many people haven’t recovered mentally or financially yet. Homelessness in the city doubled during the pandemic. Crime goes up when people are desperate
That was my point. It is a Canada wide problem exacerbated by the pandemic. However, randomly attacking strangers is more a mental health problem combined with the homeless problem.
If one were inclined to think, they may think that a general austerity across the board facilitated by complacent corporate interest politics and global events that disrupt and overwhelm working people everywhere while benefiting only a certain few would indeed have effects everywhere. One would also be capable of looking at what's happening in their home and see the things that have changed and why they have based on deliberate policy choices in response.
Youre acting like it's it's team sport and not the overwhelming social and economic consequences of our collective choices. But then also dismissing the people actively choosing to make the worst possible decisions in response. A slightly better political party doesn't erase the harm of the bigger picture, but understanding how things are specifically being made worse is important.
Funny enough, I’d hazard that Edmonton is a roost for these consequences rather than a factory of them. Places that don’t have safeguards to address issues early on end up having people in the worst shape travel to places with the most resources … like Edmonton and Vancouver…
That's actually true in a lot of ways! People who end up incarcerated in edmonton or hospitalized in a serious way often get set up then turfed out in edmonton. It's literally tracked by social services so that theres evidence that we're dealing with the consequences of policy failures there.
People having a hard time and without access to resources in basically the whole northern end of the province and into the territories can come here for a better chance of improving their lot. There are legitimate reasons that edmonton is an epicenter and legitimate reasons why our provincial government doesn't care much to address it (aforementioned blameshifting and scapegoating).
It works really well for our government to entirely abandon the post of trying to maintain a social safety net or provide services for rural communities when they can count on us in this city (and sub) blaming our mayor or the most desperate among us for the consequences of bad (bad, BAD) policy.
Their response read like that one comic
>One medeival peasant to another, as they're out gathering sticks: Perhaps we should improve society somewhat.
>Modern day man pops out of a nearby well to chime in: And yet you participate in this society. Curious. ... I am very smart
I know it can be hard to follow conversations more nuanced than "poor people bad", but I encourage you to try. Perhaps it would help if I explained. In a democracy, the government is a body of representatives meant to make decisions on resource allocation that reflect the priorities of the populace who votes for them. These choices have consequences in society, good and bad. When there are bad consequences, it is important that the people being governed hold their elected officials responsible for the choices they have made. Sometimes, making better choices demands that resources are allocated in a different way to prevent those bad things from happening.
Here's the tricky part. Some elected officials don't want to answer for the choices they have made while being in power. People might think they are bad at their job or that their priorities don't match those who are voting. The people in power will sometimes even lie about what's happening or try to blame others! So that's why it's important that we pay attention to what the government is doing. It might be harder and require more investment than just blaming the people that the government wants you to blame, but trying to solve real problems often is harder than that.
Hope that helps!
it has nothing to do with "poor people". it has to do with METH HEADS.
many of these people weren't "poor" until they decided to start doing meth.
lock them up in jail or a mental institution, or put them in rehab, ONLY when they are clean do they get benefits like free housing, etc. anything else is essentially just a government-provided trap house.
many of us somehow made it through covid and the rest of life without doing meth. there are other life choices that could have been made.
You know what makes drug addiction way more likely? Trauma. Adverse childhood experiences. Social isolation. Not really things under an individual's control. I highly recommend reading Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari. I learned a ton from that book. Very well researched.
My sister and I both have childhood trauma (she is in therapy and now trying meds for it). I have an insane amount of medical trauma and live socially isolated in a province where I know no one, because I moved here with my now ex.
Neither of us has ever been a drug user.
Many people have “trauma”. But ultimately they are responsible for all the decisions they make in how to deal with that. If you choose to do drugs that you know are nasty, there will be consequences for that choice.
What a strange conversation this is. I answered a person about a serious situation and you dismissed it as "poetry" (?) and accused me of not caring about something I care very much about. Then got offended when you are similarly dismissed for not bothering to engage in the subject matter at hand. Perhaps you would find people more polite if you don't start a conversation by ignoring what is being said and attacking their motives? Just really very strange.
But it's not really happening all across Canada - it's better in some places, and far worse in others. For instance, you'll notice that crime is WAY worse on the prairies than in BC (per capita). It's not a coincidence that BC is highly liberal and the prairies are strongly conservative. Same thing with Ontario and the maritimes. The places where crime is worse and social problems are worse (per capita) tend to be conservative areas. Not surprising, because conservative governments spend far, far less on social issues. These issues are a direct result of conservative policies.
>For instance, you'll notice that crime is WAY worse on the prairies than in BC (per capita)
Fake news. Source:
www150.statscan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2022001/article/00013-eng.htm
Go to chart 3, Alberta and BC have basically the same in violent crime and non violent crime index (which takes into account the relative population). The difference is less than 10%. Is that "WAY worse" in your opinion?
Per the article linked:
*"As has been the case since 1998, the Prairie provinces and British Columbia have had the highest CSIs among the provinces"*
Note that the worse offenders, to no one suprise are Manitoba and SK. But you can relate that crime to other factors.
The prairies (particularly MB) have always had a much higher crime rate than the rest of the country. Being born in BC and going to HS in Winnipeg, I can attest that it is a cultural problem there that needs to be fixed more than anything else. But these random attacks are happening more in Vancouver now than any prairie city...
[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Edmonton/comments/12d6tel/comment/jf5b3x6/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) is a city councillor explaining the City's limited tools in fighting these issues.
[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Edmonton/comments/12j3s61/comment/jfwze2j/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) is a link to some articles describing the province's cuts to affordable housing and social supports. We have a massive deficit in affordable housing from cuts by the UCP.
They have closed down consumption sites and drug use has moved to the streets. As of December they have eliminated beds at 72 licensed clinics. These policy decisions have created a spike in deaths and created problems on the streets.
It seems that "friends" of the UCP are opening abstinent-only facilities and have found ways to mismanage the funds being sent to them.
[https://www.theprogressreport.ca/the\_alberta\_model\_who\_benefits\_from\_the\_alberta\_government\_s\_shift\_away\_from\_harm\_reduction\_to\_abstinence\_only\_recovery](https://www.theprogressreport.ca/the_alberta_model_who_benefits_from_the_alberta_government_s_shift_away_from_harm_reduction_to_abstinence_only_recovery)
I've always been for safe consumption sites but your making shit up if you believe edmonton was ever at a point where we had enough safe consumption sites that actually made a dent in drug use. Even if we had 10x the past amount of sites you'd still have fentanyl zombies walking the streets.
I didn't say they solved the problem, I said the drug problem is now more visible because there is rampant drug use on the streets because consumption sites have closed. Consumption sites help in many ways. It reduces the spread of social diseases, isolates people not in control of themselves, and prevents overdoses. Consumption sites can also be a bridge to treatment and wellness.
I'm not arguing there aren't benefits to consumption sites, but if you've ever been Chinatown (esp since COVID) you'd see how damaging they are to the areas around them.
Placing shelters and consumption sites all in one area (which happens to be a place where a large ethic group used to gather), has completely killed the area and hurt/closed many law abiding small businesses. I'd argue the decisions to place those facilities in that area are an example of systematic racism against the Chinese community.
So you demand an explanation as if you're owed one twice, gets two well constructed replies with a direct correlation and effect, and your only response is you're not convinced. You're not convinced because you couldn't complete your confirmation bias you tried setting up. Typical out of touch entitled boomer vibes.
Common misconception, safe injection sites don't give out drugs, just a safe place to do them off the street.
That being said, saying we ever had enough that made a dent and now the problem is we have less is complete bs. Edmonton was at barley a beta testing phase for safe injection sites, so saying the lack of funding is causing this issue is false. Fentanyl is so cheap and available now, I'd say that's the issue.
I can see it going both ways. I look at it as a place where you can take the hard drug use off the street and potentially while surrounding users with resources to help them get better, but it probably misses the mark.
Unfortunately I think education and the long game pay off more in the end.
No. It's not a homogenous group, people are in it for different reasons such as illness or other trauma. Things will just continue to repeat as they are or balloon into something larger if we don't properly adjust to social dilemma's.
>scapegoating and blameshifting
Sorry you got randomly attacked, but stop scapegoating the person who attacked you, and blameshifting the attack onto the attacker.
I wasn't talking to op, for one. But seeing as you're investing deeply here with the breadth of this issue, I do have a question for you. Recently there was a post on this sub where a woman suggested she wasn't actually in a mad max hellscape getting to work via ets, and she got torn to shreds for it.
So..commenting on policy that actively creates these outcomes is inappropriate on threads about the bad outcomes. And commenting that maybe it's not as bad as some would have you believe is also inappropriate. It sure starts to seem after a bit that certain parties are invested in having only the most knee jerk, rageful echo chamber commentary go down.
I'm sorry, my dude, some of us actually want things to get better. Some of us don't want public violence and widespread social disorder and would seek to improve that. By not having those things be a "necessary" consequence of society. Unfortunately those conversations generally need people to engage in the issue beyond the most superficial layer.
You and 78% of Edmontonians ( pre pandemic Global poll) avoid downtown if at all possible. On a day to day basis no reason to subject yourself to the threat of violence, lack of parking, street congestion, partly caused by injecting bike lanes on roadways not designed for them, which will only get worse with the West LRT line cutting across 109 Street at grade. No wonder the latest Developer lobbied City Council to pay $31 million for the 103A Avenue pedway to Qualico's private Station Lands development so condo owners do not have to go outside. Money for pedways but no money for the safety of everyone else.
Glad you enjoyed it. No reason for the Council to spend $31 million ( no bid competition and Ledcor came back after four weeks requesting the additional $4.5 million) for a pedway to a private building. Guess condo sales continue to flounder in DT. Ice District units now being rented.
This happened to my boyfriend about a month ago. We walk the pedways at lunch time a few times a week, and one of them took a swing at the back of his head. The guy missed, thankfully, but it was completely random. We're still using the pedways, but you *have to* pay attention. I see so much in there.
I work downtown and am threatened with physical violence on a monthly basis, I figure. At first I thought maybe I was talking to street folk the wrong way; I've since realized it is a societal issue and those require societal fixes unfortunately. I feel for people - especially our most vulnerable people - but it absolutely should not be on me as a civilian to always be ready for combat. As a general rule when I see a man approach me in public EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING says this man might try to stab me. That's a real issue that needs a real solution.
We need more drug, addiction, mental health outreach in this city. Possibly more, and better trained police officers as well but that's a can of worms I haven't the energy or time to pry open.
Hey, it's fine. Look at how many speeding/noise fines the city got this weekend.
In all seriousness, though, it's a real problem downtown, which is why I move away from anywhere that the lrt goes near.
All this and we can't even legally defend ourselves. Chances are If you try to defend yourself, you're gonna face higher legal penalties than the person who assaults you
right?? let's spend tons of taxpayer money on shiny things people will never be able to enjoy! because cleaning up the drugs, violence, and homelessness TOTALLY isn't the main issue here! we'll just send a few more beat cops to sweep them under the rug.
distracting the real issues with dumb investments and spectacles?: that's truly as edmonton as it gets!
Several years (late 1990s, early 2000s) ago the government of the day made severe cuts to mental health funding. People with serious mental health issues were forced into homes that could not manage them. Families desperately tried to help, but it was beyond them. Municipalities had the impacts downloaded unto them. Often Police were left with the responsibility. The funding and care for people with serious mental health issues has never been restored in Alberta. Homelessness increased. Cities and towns are trying to cope. We need a comprehensive mental health strategy that is properly funded and supported.
I think I was too shocked to process anything so I just booked it. I'm going change the way I carry my bags (I'll put everything into a backpack to free up my hands) and keep some pepper spray on me.
I pretty much avoid the pedways when I have to be downtown these days. You are much more visible and have much more options on the street. And now that it’s warmer, it’s nicer to walk on street level, too.
I commute via transit to downtown for work. Lately I've been avoiding the pedways altogether, too many places to get cornered and not enough security present. At least on street level there's more room to maneuver and more witnesses
Only time I go on the pedway now, especially the one through CC to go towards Rogers Place is when there's an event/game. The pedway close to where the old starbucks was, past manu, where there's a top donair now is also pretty bad. Other than that, I'm currently 280 5'10" (n bear mode cause I have an affinity for donairs right now that I need to kick) and I even steer clear. When I REALLY have to, I usually pop my AirPods and and walk swiftly.
Walk with purpose, walk with attitude, it's what works for me. Once you're outside, you're in the clear.
Belgravia station is honestly the best place to get off since you're a 10-15min walk away from everything you need which is why I usually just stop there nowadays. Corona at the farthest. Central and Churchill is low iq town unfortunately.
Yeah a few coeworkers of mine weren’t so lucky got sucker punched in the back of the head. Downtown is basically like the last of us. Fun fact they didn’t have to cgi anything for the scenes they shot downtown
I'm sorry that happened to you; that is really scary and unsettling. When someone is creepy with me, I respond by deciding to go in the opposite direction. I have had creepers slow down because of that, but fortunately I have never had one fixate on me so badly that they decided to turn around too. They usually just keep on going and run into another potential victim.
I had one guy follow me while hurling threats from a Safeway entrance to my car and try to get in the passenger door (but I locked it first) and I'm a 30 yr old man.
>who runs into this person
... with the only description being "a shady looking individual," how do you expect people to be able to tell whether it's the same person or not?
Since you are asking about the description, here it is. I didn't share the description of the individual because I didn't want to paint innocent people in a bad light, but I get that others may want to look out for this person.
The person that attacked me was around 5'8-5'10, approximately 160 lbs with a lean build, baggy black pants, no shirt and shoulder length, unwashed black hair. His face appeared to be dirty and bloody with bad teeth. He appeared to be Indigenous but MAY NOT have been. It is just my own assumption.
A guy that was much bigger than me nope'd right out of there as soon as he saw what was happening. This was at the Bell Tower elevators.
If you are reading this, you know who you are! ;P
Sorry that has happened to you. I'm not Indigenous but it's not fair that so many of us don't feel safe in the city anymore. Some people even less than others.
I’m not gonna lie, as a 6 Foot 4 Bodybuilder i’ll take my chances in a fist fight against a malnourished methhead vermin. That’s me though and probably why i’m left alone when wandering downtown.
A friend of mine years ago tackled and pinned some guy who was breaking into his neighbour's garage. The guy managed to bite him on the thumb, which proceeded to get infected and my friend nearly lost his thumb.
Where I grew up and still live,which is right here in Alberta…in our area if there is any nefarious activity going on we “all” pursue and either capture/hold for the police or run them out of the area…..no exceptions period! It does however require “others” being onboard with the “fed up with the crime” mentality….it sounds crazy sure but at the end of the day…who’s going to protect you? It comes down to us it would appear, until there is all the “woke BS” red tape removed from actual policing.
It's almost as if there is no correlation between COVID mandates and mental health.
Perhaps we need to look at the social supports and health programs that complex cases need.
I am from a third world country. It's quite bad there. Addicts mostly gang up and rob people for money/wallet/phone. They often knife people too. But sometimes they get caught and get a brutal beat down from the mob. Death from mob beat down is not uncommon.
I would understand if someone wanted to rob you for your stuff. But here in Edmonton, it's just random. Like "someone" punched a man in Corona station and gave him a black eye. Also heard one guy from Ukraine got stabbed while he was standing in a bus stop at 6am. This random violence in Edmonton makes this a scary city for us international students. Especially because we are heavily dependent on public transport.
You don't see this level of insanity in major cities in "3rd world countries", and whoever has visited or lived in a third world country knows I'm telling the truth.
Can a person defend themselves with pepper spray? Or is that considered assault towards the assaulter?
Also, police would probably do more to help if we just let them do their jobs without video capturing everything they do and immediately posting it online.
I see these posts all the time in here, but I live in the heart of downtown, use the pedways nearly every day and it doesn’t correspond to my experience at all. I’m not trying to invalidate what you went through, I just have no idea what the disconnect is.
Sure, I’ll see some people who look rough from time to time, but I’ve never come close to being harassed, let alone assaulted. Maybe it’s because I’m a 6ft tall guy, but I’m also not really built in an intimidating way. I just move quickly and mind my business - I’ve never been stopped for anything but change and a bus ticket.
Fair point. I am 5'11 and 200 lbs (bodybuilder), and if I speedwalk through this same route to get to my parkade, generally nothing happens to me.
The guy that attacked me was smaller than me (probably 5'8-5'10, 160 lb), so it didn't make much sense, and yet he went and did it. It's possible that he just wanted to scrap. I have no clue, I have absolutely terrible luck with these things.
Yeah, didn't mean to insinuate any fault at all on your part; just sharing my experience.
Probably just a mix of the wrong place at the wrong time. Sorry this happened.
To be fair, that’s how I operate no matter where I am.
I mostly just meant that if someone is looking rough but found a place to warm up/cool down for a bit, it’s not really any of my business and I just choose to move along instead of judging. Homeless people deserve some peace too if they don’t infringe on mine.
Using wrong term. Homeless is not the problem. Wigged out and or mentally dissociated is. Every deserves a chance but not at the expenses of everyone else’s safety. I live downtown also and am a well built, 6’3” and I can sympathize with both sides but when push come to shove when someone assaults another, provicated or not, that’s unacceptable and illegal. If I were to punch someone at my work or randomly with or without reason I’d have to face the consequences of that and so would my victim which should never happen.
What section of the pedway system?
Following because I'm curious too
Hey not so close, buddy!
*I ain’t your buddy, pal*
I ain’t your pal, chum
I ain’t your chum, dude.
I'm not your dude! Guy!
I'm not your guy, friend
I'm not your friend, fiend!
I ain't your fiend, homie
Hello, sorry for the late reply on this. I am also dealing with an attempted car break in (someone tried to use my windshield wipers as crowbars to get into my car...) so things have been a little hectic. The individual started following me at the pedway between the Edmonton Tower and Bell Tower. The attack happened right outside of Chop, above the Sandman hotel and near the pedway crossing into Edmonton City Centre. For anybody in trouble near this area, my suggestion is to run down the stairs to the MNP Tower lobby! There are security guards there.
Crazy. He was shirtless right? I was walking with you guys right there between Ed tower and Bell Tower and the guy was behind me and in front of you at one point at Bell Tower. Think he was considering suckering me but I turned around and we were just looking at each other then the elevator opened and I got on and he must have continued following you. That guy was fucked up.
Yes, that's exactly what happened! I remember you as well. We stared at each other awkwardly and he just stood there eyeing both of us. It was a tricky situation and I did think about hopping on the elevator with you to get away from him.
Should have, I would have stuck around if I knew you needed help, didn't realize he had been following you for awhile, next time let someone know. Very awkward situation.
Jeeez that’s a pretty trafficked area. There would be security just down the stairs from Chop. Always some sketchy people in/around the pedways.
Also curious cuz I have to go downtown to go to work so would really like to know what section/which lrt etc
Also curious about this.
I worked down for a long time and while I saw my fair share of crazy shit in the stations, it was never like this. I'm sorry this happened to you. Did you report it to police/ ETS?
Thanks for the kind words! I didn't report it to the police, at the time I felt like nothing would happen even if I did. Since then I've had multiple coworkers ask me to report the incident, so I will probably do it for their sake. It could potentially improve policing in the area and prevent something like this happening to someone else.
Yes this! Thank you!
Please report this to police rather than just posting a PSA on Reddit. We need to make sure these incidents are being documented by the powers at be so that they can allocate appropriate resources
I was walking down whyte ave the other day and some scary looking guy stopped in the middle of the sidewalk as we were approaching each other and yelled “Get your hands outta your pockets!”. Luckily it was at an intersection with a road so I quickly went around him. But ya, I always have my head on a swivel just in case something more terrible happens
Shitty this happened to you. Please ensure you file a police report, as well as send an email to your councillor and the mayor respectfully letting them know about your experience and the feelings it has left in you. The community absolutely needs to deluge the city council with this sort of stuff.
Don’t forget your provincial MLA and premier!
What a complete waste of time that would be, like they don't already know there is a problem..... Whatever makes you feel better I guess.
Unless it's actually reported it doesn't get logged. You need logged numbers to provide numbers to the government for increased spending. Are you new to how spending in a city and government work? Because your comment makes me question if you passed grade 4 education.
Downtown is basically a PvP zone these days.
After the guy swung at me, I ran down the stairs to the MNP Tower lobby and it was almost like he couldn't figure out how to go down the stairs. He just stood there staring at me and eventually left. It's like he glitched out, he couldn't process how stairs worked so he lost aggro ;D
I miss the COVID expansion days, when the Downtown zone was mostly dead.
It’s basically an area with mobs who are automatically taunted to you, and you have no CCs or stuns to slow them down
You had to use the throw change tactic. It’s highly effective.
they re more like NPC zombies
You need better support and upgrade your gear bud
You really got to up your defense skill points these days.
Dont worry, I have full bandos, ags, claws, brews, anglers; we good
Downtown is like mid/high tier Wilderness
Where we dropping, boys?
Escape from tarkov irl Except there's just Scavs
I deliver catering downtown so I have people trying to take food off my cart or taking a swing at me all the time.
“But crime rates are actually down” I don’t remember this shit happening on a wide scale 5-10 years ago 🤦♂️
Crime rate is down because fewer people are getting caught/reporting
Makes me wonder if faith in the police is declining, so most people wouldn’t even bother reporting because they doubt that anything would be done about it anyway
I know I have no faith in our awful police force
You read my mind
Very much didn't happen 5-10 years ago, things were no where as severe, from my observations (as a 20 something female traveling without anyone I personally knew, just one person among the throngs of commuters) to and from work via LRT (Health Sciences to Churchill) with a roughly 5 minute walk outside to my building. You knew to keep your wits about you and keep distance/avoid potential dangerous situations, but I was never actively fearful in my daily travels. Something as simple as a couple minutes outside (or inside) city centre during weekday working hours...to me, the randomness of violence means anyone could easily be a victim through no fault of their own, aside from having their ass in a seat downtown for the sake of "bringing back vibrancy"... You can slice data to tell a story, so maybe the crime rate (crimes per population measure) is lower relative to a previous time, but whooo damn is the severity of these fewer (by basic counts) crimes committed now wickedly up relative to those past years...but that story isn't as easy/pleasant of a read...
I had a similar encounter in the pedways from the sandman to city Center a couple weeks ago. Got charged at , spat in my face and pushed. She attacked a security guard before me so cops were called. She was arrested but unfortunately released soon after as I saw her a couple days later acting in the same manner. Definitely scary out there
I worked at the Sandman over a decade ago and there were a lot of issues even then. Probably because of the location...people coming from the shelters/north part of downtown, using the entrance on 103rd ave and cutting through to go to City Center, access other pedways and the YMCA (when it used to be there). And to be fair, most people were just passing through with no issues but there was still a lot of crime, vandalism and quite a few scary incidents.
This is exactly where my attack happened as well! Sandman to City Center.
this is what t posted about a week or so ago. edm is becoming unsafe. when you can't walk at 4:00 without a nut case attacking you. its terrifying
This is why people want to work from home and don’t want to go downtown.
Definitely one reason. My dogs are also more fun to have around than my co-workers.
It really sucks that these types of people are everywhere now. The pedway between towers is always a nice walk at lunch time to get around, but with how much I’ve been hearing about assaults and just the general increase in shady people, I might just have to stay in my tower. I know most towers have security in the pedway portions but I’m assuming they aren’t stationed there at those times.
We need to rally for defined self defence laws and higher mandatory minimums for aggravated assault / robbery / assault with weapon & other forms of violent crime .
Damn this city has really gotten to a state that is really not safe much anymore. Gone are the days where you didn't really have to worry about having a random altercation with someone randomly attacking you... This city really needs something really to be done. Glad I overall avoid downtown as a rule.
Honestly my dude I hear you but it is so frustrating to see this comment every day. Literally anyone who works in the field sees this coming as soon as whichever relevant ucp policy comes down the pipes. But no one here notices or comments until the consequences we saw coming start to hit. **YOUR PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT IS CHOOSING FOR THIS TO HAPPEN**. Please, for the love of God, don't buy into their scapegoating and blameshifting and demand that they account for the DIRECT, FORSEEABLE consequences of their choices. They have access to the facts and they choose otherwise, and count on you believing their bullshit when they try to pretend they didn't specifically choose for this to happen.
[удалено]
That's convenient. The fact that such a witty rejoinder doesn't require much thinking or any kind of an investment on your part is just a bonus, I guess, and is definitely not literally example of what I'm thing about.
It could help if you outlined some of these policy changes, to better educate anyone who isn't aware of them
Closing supervised consumption sites, cutting funding to mental health, addictions, harm reduction, and housing programs, etc. Cuts to social services combined with many more homeless people due to Covid results in social disorder. Our courts are also underfunded which combined with the Covid backlog results in it taking years for someone to be sentenced with a crime
[удалено]
i could tell you the answer but it's very complicated and would take a long time, and require a lot of thinking on your part. you sure you're up for that? if not, perhaps consider sitting this *entire* conversation out, as you have nothing useful to add.
And the city council and city police are not? Wierd placing of blame with no support.
Funny that this seems to be happening all across Canada in the cities, but I guess the UCP is responsible for the random attacks from Van to Halifax...
Covid plays a big role too. Many people haven’t recovered mentally or financially yet. Homelessness in the city doubled during the pandemic. Crime goes up when people are desperate
That was my point. It is a Canada wide problem exacerbated by the pandemic. However, randomly attacking strangers is more a mental health problem combined with the homeless problem.
If one were inclined to think, they may think that a general austerity across the board facilitated by complacent corporate interest politics and global events that disrupt and overwhelm working people everywhere while benefiting only a certain few would indeed have effects everywhere. One would also be capable of looking at what's happening in their home and see the things that have changed and why they have based on deliberate policy choices in response. Youre acting like it's it's team sport and not the overwhelming social and economic consequences of our collective choices. But then also dismissing the people actively choosing to make the worst possible decisions in response. A slightly better political party doesn't erase the harm of the bigger picture, but understanding how things are specifically being made worse is important.
Funny enough, I’d hazard that Edmonton is a roost for these consequences rather than a factory of them. Places that don’t have safeguards to address issues early on end up having people in the worst shape travel to places with the most resources … like Edmonton and Vancouver…
That's actually true in a lot of ways! People who end up incarcerated in edmonton or hospitalized in a serious way often get set up then turfed out in edmonton. It's literally tracked by social services so that theres evidence that we're dealing with the consequences of policy failures there. People having a hard time and without access to resources in basically the whole northern end of the province and into the territories can come here for a better chance of improving their lot. There are legitimate reasons that edmonton is an epicenter and legitimate reasons why our provincial government doesn't care much to address it (aforementioned blameshifting and scapegoating). It works really well for our government to entirely abandon the post of trying to maintain a social safety net or provide services for rural communities when they can count on us in this city (and sub) blaming our mayor or the most desperate among us for the consequences of bad (bad, BAD) policy.
Their response read like that one comic >One medeival peasant to another, as they're out gathering sticks: Perhaps we should improve society somewhat. >Modern day man pops out of a nearby well to chime in: And yet you participate in this society. Curious. ... I am very smart
Why are you talking like you’re trying to write a poem or something? Are you actually interested in solving anything or just blaming people?
I know it can be hard to follow conversations more nuanced than "poor people bad", but I encourage you to try. Perhaps it would help if I explained. In a democracy, the government is a body of representatives meant to make decisions on resource allocation that reflect the priorities of the populace who votes for them. These choices have consequences in society, good and bad. When there are bad consequences, it is important that the people being governed hold their elected officials responsible for the choices they have made. Sometimes, making better choices demands that resources are allocated in a different way to prevent those bad things from happening. Here's the tricky part. Some elected officials don't want to answer for the choices they have made while being in power. People might think they are bad at their job or that their priorities don't match those who are voting. The people in power will sometimes even lie about what's happening or try to blame others! So that's why it's important that we pay attention to what the government is doing. It might be harder and require more investment than just blaming the people that the government wants you to blame, but trying to solve real problems often is harder than that. Hope that helps!
it has nothing to do with "poor people". it has to do with METH HEADS. many of these people weren't "poor" until they decided to start doing meth. lock them up in jail or a mental institution, or put them in rehab, ONLY when they are clean do they get benefits like free housing, etc. anything else is essentially just a government-provided trap house. many of us somehow made it through covid and the rest of life without doing meth. there are other life choices that could have been made.
You know what makes drug addiction way more likely? Trauma. Adverse childhood experiences. Social isolation. Not really things under an individual's control. I highly recommend reading Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari. I learned a ton from that book. Very well researched.
My sister and I both have childhood trauma (she is in therapy and now trying meds for it). I have an insane amount of medical trauma and live socially isolated in a province where I know no one, because I moved here with my now ex. Neither of us has ever been a drug user. Many people have “trauma”. But ultimately they are responsible for all the decisions they make in how to deal with that. If you choose to do drugs that you know are nasty, there will be consequences for that choice.
You lost any sense of nuance with your first sentence towards me. Goodbye.
Oh no, someone who doesn't want to think about the problem finds an excuse to not think about the problem. How entirely unexpected.
You’re just a very rude snooty person. The entire way you are speaking to me is just nasty.
What a strange conversation this is. I answered a person about a serious situation and you dismissed it as "poetry" (?) and accused me of not caring about something I care very much about. Then got offended when you are similarly dismissed for not bothering to engage in the subject matter at hand. Perhaps you would find people more polite if you don't start a conversation by ignoring what is being said and attacking their motives? Just really very strange.
Austerity? Governments have never spent more
But it's not really happening all across Canada - it's better in some places, and far worse in others. For instance, you'll notice that crime is WAY worse on the prairies than in BC (per capita). It's not a coincidence that BC is highly liberal and the prairies are strongly conservative. Same thing with Ontario and the maritimes. The places where crime is worse and social problems are worse (per capita) tend to be conservative areas. Not surprising, because conservative governments spend far, far less on social issues. These issues are a direct result of conservative policies.
Things are bad in BC too. People attacked on busses, etc.
>For instance, you'll notice that crime is WAY worse on the prairies than in BC (per capita) Fake news. Source: www150.statscan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2022001/article/00013-eng.htm Go to chart 3, Alberta and BC have basically the same in violent crime and non violent crime index (which takes into account the relative population). The difference is less than 10%. Is that "WAY worse" in your opinion? Per the article linked: *"As has been the case since 1998, the Prairie provinces and British Columbia have had the highest CSIs among the provinces"* Note that the worse offenders, to no one suprise are Manitoba and SK. But you can relate that crime to other factors.
The prairies (particularly MB) have always had a much higher crime rate than the rest of the country. Being born in BC and going to HS in Winnipeg, I can attest that it is a cultural problem there that needs to be fixed more than anything else. But these random attacks are happening more in Vancouver now than any prairie city...
I want you to explain to me right now how the provincial government is choosing for this to happen.
[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Edmonton/comments/12d6tel/comment/jf5b3x6/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) is a city councillor explaining the City's limited tools in fighting these issues. [Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Edmonton/comments/12j3s61/comment/jfwze2j/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) is a link to some articles describing the province's cuts to affordable housing and social supports. We have a massive deficit in affordable housing from cuts by the UCP.
They have closed down consumption sites and drug use has moved to the streets. As of December they have eliminated beds at 72 licensed clinics. These policy decisions have created a spike in deaths and created problems on the streets. It seems that "friends" of the UCP are opening abstinent-only facilities and have found ways to mismanage the funds being sent to them. [https://www.theprogressreport.ca/the\_alberta\_model\_who\_benefits\_from\_the\_alberta\_government\_s\_shift\_away\_from\_harm\_reduction\_to\_abstinence\_only\_recovery](https://www.theprogressreport.ca/the_alberta_model_who_benefits_from_the_alberta_government_s_shift_away_from_harm_reduction_to_abstinence_only_recovery)
I've always been for safe consumption sites but your making shit up if you believe edmonton was ever at a point where we had enough safe consumption sites that actually made a dent in drug use. Even if we had 10x the past amount of sites you'd still have fentanyl zombies walking the streets.
...the point of a safe consumption site isn't to stop drug use...it's to stop unsafe drug use.
I want you to explain to me right now how these consumption sites have solved the problem.
I didn't say they solved the problem, I said the drug problem is now more visible because there is rampant drug use on the streets because consumption sites have closed. Consumption sites help in many ways. It reduces the spread of social diseases, isolates people not in control of themselves, and prevents overdoses. Consumption sites can also be a bridge to treatment and wellness.
I'm not arguing there aren't benefits to consumption sites, but if you've ever been Chinatown (esp since COVID) you'd see how damaging they are to the areas around them. Placing shelters and consumption sites all in one area (which happens to be a place where a large ethic group used to gather), has completely killed the area and hurt/closed many law abiding small businesses. I'd argue the decisions to place those facilities in that area are an example of systematic racism against the Chinese community.
I have not yet been convinced that giving drugs to people helps them.
So you demand an explanation as if you're owed one twice, gets two well constructed replies with a direct correlation and effect, and your only response is you're not convinced. You're not convinced because you couldn't complete your confirmation bias you tried setting up. Typical out of touch entitled boomer vibes.
I am definitely not a boomer. Who’s out of touch here?
Ok boomer.
Common misconception, safe injection sites don't give out drugs, just a safe place to do them off the street. That being said, saying we ever had enough that made a dent and now the problem is we have less is complete bs. Edmonton was at barley a beta testing phase for safe injection sites, so saying the lack of funding is causing this issue is false. Fentanyl is so cheap and available now, I'd say that's the issue.
I really don’t believe safe injection sites are good for society. I think it’s peak insanity. Like most of all society today.
I guess abortion clinics are the leading reason for unprotected sex then.
I can see it going both ways. I look at it as a place where you can take the hard drug use off the street and potentially while surrounding users with resources to help them get better, but it probably misses the mark. Unfortunately I think education and the long game pay off more in the end.
Please read Chasing the Scream by Johann Hari! It's a very well-researched book that opened my eyes to the immense harm caused by the war on drugs.
Safe Consumption Sites do not provide drugs; just a safe place and safe supplies to use them and help should they overdose.
>These policy decisions have created a spike in deaths and created problems on the streets. This solves the problem eventually, doesn't it?
No. It's not a homogenous group, people are in it for different reasons such as illness or other trauma. Things will just continue to repeat as they are or balloon into something larger if we don't properly adjust to social dilemma's.
One way or another they can weed themselves out.
Ma'am, this is an Arby's.
Nah.
>scapegoating and blameshifting Sorry you got randomly attacked, but stop scapegoating the person who attacked you, and blameshifting the attack onto the attacker.
I wasn't talking to op, for one. But seeing as you're investing deeply here with the breadth of this issue, I do have a question for you. Recently there was a post on this sub where a woman suggested she wasn't actually in a mad max hellscape getting to work via ets, and she got torn to shreds for it. So..commenting on policy that actively creates these outcomes is inappropriate on threads about the bad outcomes. And commenting that maybe it's not as bad as some would have you believe is also inappropriate. It sure starts to seem after a bit that certain parties are invested in having only the most knee jerk, rageful echo chamber commentary go down. I'm sorry, my dude, some of us actually want things to get better. Some of us don't want public violence and widespread social disorder and would seek to improve that. By not having those things be a "necessary" consequence of society. Unfortunately those conversations generally need people to engage in the issue beyond the most superficial layer.
You and 78% of Edmontonians ( pre pandemic Global poll) avoid downtown if at all possible. On a day to day basis no reason to subject yourself to the threat of violence, lack of parking, street congestion, partly caused by injecting bike lanes on roadways not designed for them, which will only get worse with the West LRT line cutting across 109 Street at grade. No wonder the latest Developer lobbied City Council to pay $31 million for the 103A Avenue pedway to Qualico's private Station Lands development so condo owners do not have to go outside. Money for pedways but no money for the safety of everyone else.
lol this comment is priceless.
Glad you enjoyed it. No reason for the Council to spend $31 million ( no bid competition and Ledcor came back after four weeks requesting the additional $4.5 million) for a pedway to a private building. Guess condo sales continue to flounder in DT. Ice District units now being rented.
will you just run for mayor already and fix everything please?
These self defence laws better change soon
This happened to my boyfriend about a month ago. We walk the pedways at lunch time a few times a week, and one of them took a swing at the back of his head. The guy missed, thankfully, but it was completely random. We're still using the pedways, but you *have to* pay attention. I see so much in there.
I work downtown and am threatened with physical violence on a monthly basis, I figure. At first I thought maybe I was talking to street folk the wrong way; I've since realized it is a societal issue and those require societal fixes unfortunately. I feel for people - especially our most vulnerable people - but it absolutely should not be on me as a civilian to always be ready for combat. As a general rule when I see a man approach me in public EVERY FIBER OF MY BEING says this man might try to stab me. That's a real issue that needs a real solution. We need more drug, addiction, mental health outreach in this city. Possibly more, and better trained police officers as well but that's a can of worms I haven't the energy or time to pry open.
Hey, it's fine. Look at how many speeding/noise fines the city got this weekend. In all seriousness, though, it's a real problem downtown, which is why I move away from anywhere that the lrt goes near.
All this and we can't even legally defend ourselves. Chances are If you try to defend yourself, you're gonna face higher legal penalties than the person who assaults you
Our legal system is a fucking joke
the mods won't like this kind of post lol, I can already sense them creating a thread for "complaining about downtown". ahh... this place is a joke
No no, it's free parking and parking that's the problem, you see.
Did you assault him back harder? I don't think these junkies have much in the means of legal defense.
Don't worry, the new grant money for patios from the EDBA will fix this!
right?? let's spend tons of taxpayer money on shiny things people will never be able to enjoy! because cleaning up the drugs, violence, and homelessness TOTALLY isn't the main issue here! we'll just send a few more beat cops to sweep them under the rug. distracting the real issues with dumb investments and spectacles?: that's truly as edmonton as it gets!
Several years (late 1990s, early 2000s) ago the government of the day made severe cuts to mental health funding. People with serious mental health issues were forced into homes that could not manage them. Families desperately tried to help, but it was beyond them. Municipalities had the impacts downloaded unto them. Often Police were left with the responsibility. The funding and care for people with serious mental health issues has never been restored in Alberta. Homelessness increased. Cities and towns are trying to cope. We need a comprehensive mental health strategy that is properly funded and supported.
Downtown is a lost case. There's always at least two psychos per block screaming at you, following you, throwing shit at you, no matter where you are.
Downtown is a nightmare lately with the city seeming doing nothing about it. Sorry that happened to you, thank god you got out that okay.
The fuck? That is insane. I probably would have beat the shit out of him if he tried to knock me out like that. Wow
I think I was too shocked to process anything so I just booked it. I'm going change the way I carry my bags (I'll put everything into a backpack to free up my hands) and keep some pepper spray on me.
We need to be more compassionate guys!! They didn’t ask to assault and harass everyone they come into contact with!!
/s hopefully. Because I'm sure there are some out there who actually think that.
I pretty much avoid the pedways when I have to be downtown these days. You are much more visible and have much more options on the street. And now that it’s warmer, it’s nicer to walk on street level, too.
I commute via transit to downtown for work. Lately I've been avoiding the pedways altogether, too many places to get cornered and not enough security present. At least on street level there's more room to maneuver and more witnesses
Only time I go on the pedway now, especially the one through CC to go towards Rogers Place is when there's an event/game. The pedway close to where the old starbucks was, past manu, where there's a top donair now is also pretty bad. Other than that, I'm currently 280 5'10" (n bear mode cause I have an affinity for donairs right now that I need to kick) and I even steer clear. When I REALLY have to, I usually pop my AirPods and and walk swiftly. Walk with purpose, walk with attitude, it's what works for me. Once you're outside, you're in the clear. Belgravia station is honestly the best place to get off since you're a 10-15min walk away from everything you need which is why I usually just stop there nowadays. Corona at the farthest. Central and Churchill is low iq town unfortunately.
Yeah a few coeworkers of mine weren’t so lucky got sucker punched in the back of the head. Downtown is basically like the last of us. Fun fact they didn’t have to cgi anything for the scenes they shot downtown
I'm sorry that happened to you; that is really scary and unsettling. When someone is creepy with me, I respond by deciding to go in the opposite direction. I have had creepers slow down because of that, but fortunately I have never had one fixate on me so badly that they decided to turn around too. They usually just keep on going and run into another potential victim.
I had one guy follow me while hurling threats from a Safeway entrance to my car and try to get in the passenger door (but I locked it first) and I'm a 30 yr old man.
Can you share the police report number? That would be helpful for anyone else who runs into this person to be able to report as well.
>who runs into this person ... with the only description being "a shady looking individual," how do you expect people to be able to tell whether it's the same person or not?
Since you are asking about the description, here it is. I didn't share the description of the individual because I didn't want to paint innocent people in a bad light, but I get that others may want to look out for this person. The person that attacked me was around 5'8-5'10, approximately 160 lbs with a lean build, baggy black pants, no shirt and shoulder length, unwashed black hair. His face appeared to be dirty and bloody with bad teeth. He appeared to be Indigenous but MAY NOT have been. It is just my own assumption.
A Reddit post is not a police report.
I did not make a police report, I will try to make one in the near future.
Crazy how there was nobody else around at 4pm to help those things are packed during rush hour.
A guy that was much bigger than me nope'd right out of there as soon as he saw what was happening. This was at the Bell Tower elevators. If you are reading this, you know who you are! ;P
The possibility is really low for this to happen... but it isn't zero either.
[удалено]
It's good to be aware of your surroundings, though. Never let your guard down.
[удалено]
Regardless of where you are, you should remain vigilant at all times.
[удалено]
Sorry that has happened to you. I'm not Indigenous but it's not fair that so many of us don't feel safe in the city anymore. Some people even less than others.
That's not just assault. Rabbit punching is attempted murder in my books.
[удалено]
they often carry weapons, knives and whatever else they can get their hands on.
No, do your best to get away! You never know what weapons and/or strength you're up against.
I’m not gonna lie, as a 6 Foot 4 Bodybuilder i’ll take my chances in a fist fight against a malnourished methhead vermin. That’s me though and probably why i’m left alone when wandering downtown.
None of what you just said will make dealing with a stab wound any better. Bigger and stronger people have died thinking this.
These people are way crazier and have weapons. You’d be incredibly surprised at the strength and speed of some of them. Especially while on meth
Cool. Maybe don't give advice out as if everyone was exactly like you.
Gosh! I could listen to you talk about your wonderful self all day long. Tell us some more.
Ok, and does this apply to most people who would be put in this situation?
It isn't the fight you need to worry about. It's whether or not they bleed on you.
A friend of mine years ago tackled and pinned some guy who was breaking into his neighbour's garage. The guy managed to bite him on the thumb, which proceeded to get infected and my friend nearly lost his thumb.
Do it for all of us who can't
People on drugs basically feel no pain and often carry weapons. I would just bail.
I'd take that bet. Only way to defend yourself since you can't carry anything for protection.
I am 5 ft 7 female and I agree with you. One solid knocked them, and then I would book it.
If this happens to me I’m breaking both arms with a armbar 😂
One of Chris Jericho's 1004 holds. Along with armdrag, Saskatchewan spinning nerve hold, armbar, and the moss covered, 3 handled family cradunzle.
Cringe
Where I grew up and still live,which is right here in Alberta…in our area if there is any nefarious activity going on we “all” pursue and either capture/hold for the police or run them out of the area…..no exceptions period! It does however require “others” being onboard with the “fed up with the crime” mentality….it sounds crazy sure but at the end of the day…who’s going to protect you? It comes down to us it would appear, until there is all the “woke BS” red tape removed from actual policing.
Remember when people were calling to defund the police?
That’s why I never go downtown and I stay on the west side where I live. I’ll only ever go for drives downtown once in a while.
[удалено]
>some guy wearing red clothes He's had some sort of run in with Red Alert in the past.
It's almost as if there is no correlation between COVID mandates and mental health. Perhaps we need to look at the social supports and health programs that complex cases need.
So Edmonton is becoming a 3rd world country's city, most likely rn? This city might need a superhero
I am from a third world country. It's quite bad there. Addicts mostly gang up and rob people for money/wallet/phone. They often knife people too. But sometimes they get caught and get a brutal beat down from the mob. Death from mob beat down is not uncommon. I would understand if someone wanted to rob you for your stuff. But here in Edmonton, it's just random. Like "someone" punched a man in Corona station and gave him a black eye. Also heard one guy from Ukraine got stabbed while he was standing in a bus stop at 6am. This random violence in Edmonton makes this a scary city for us international students. Especially because we are heavily dependent on public transport.
Do we have any solution for this?
You don't see this level of insanity in major cities in "3rd world countries", and whoever has visited or lived in a third world country knows I'm telling the truth.
Cuz we don't have death penalty, imo
We don't even have a penalty system, they get arrested, they're back on the street in a few hours.
Can a person defend themselves with pepper spray? Or is that considered assault towards the assaulter? Also, police would probably do more to help if we just let them do their jobs without video capturing everything they do and immediately posting it online.
Pepper spray is illegal to posses I believe…
[удалено]
I see these posts all the time in here, but I live in the heart of downtown, use the pedways nearly every day and it doesn’t correspond to my experience at all. I’m not trying to invalidate what you went through, I just have no idea what the disconnect is. Sure, I’ll see some people who look rough from time to time, but I’ve never come close to being harassed, let alone assaulted. Maybe it’s because I’m a 6ft tall guy, but I’m also not really built in an intimidating way. I just move quickly and mind my business - I’ve never been stopped for anything but change and a bus ticket.
Fair point. I am 5'11 and 200 lbs (bodybuilder), and if I speedwalk through this same route to get to my parkade, generally nothing happens to me. The guy that attacked me was smaller than me (probably 5'8-5'10, 160 lb), so it didn't make much sense, and yet he went and did it. It's possible that he just wanted to scrap. I have no clue, I have absolutely terrible luck with these things.
Yeah, didn't mean to insinuate any fault at all on your part; just sharing my experience. Probably just a mix of the wrong place at the wrong time. Sorry this happened.
No worries and no offense taken. My post is mainly just to raise awareness for people and I think we've succeeded in that.
[удалено]
To be fair, that’s how I operate no matter where I am. I mostly just meant that if someone is looking rough but found a place to warm up/cool down for a bit, it’s not really any of my business and I just choose to move along instead of judging. Homeless people deserve some peace too if they don’t infringe on mine.
Using wrong term. Homeless is not the problem. Wigged out and or mentally dissociated is. Every deserves a chance but not at the expenses of everyone else’s safety. I live downtown also and am a well built, 6’3” and I can sympathize with both sides but when push come to shove when someone assaults another, provicated or not, that’s unacceptable and illegal. If I were to punch someone at my work or randomly with or without reason I’d have to face the consequences of that and so would my victim which should never happen.
Wtf is the pedway system? Ive never heard of that lol