I tried to put comments up before about this with it being censored, like I said , why would they move out of the area when you get fed and watered while you work at tax payers expense... not sure program but seen them giving sandwitches and coffee or whatever drink to hookers drug users etc etc... so whatz up with that...

I said it's stop ramism week now stop it people!!!

I do not see any racisim in this statement at all! I see this statement as addressing the drug and alcohol problem that is currently in Prince Albert. I agree that in order to provide a welcome environment and a safe community for our children, general public, and business owners, that theses issues do need to be dealt with. I am sure that the police are working on cleaning up the city. Maybe the general public needs to help out more by reporting prostitution and 'John's', drunk drivers and drug deals, instead of turning a 'blind eye'. Over all, I think that the general public needs to accept more responsiblity by educating their children about proper behavior, being good role models and getting back to the old fashioned family values.

Wow!! It almost seems racist that Cheryl jumped to the conclusion that anyone here was talking about natives!! There are undesirable people and activities of all kinds down town. It doesn't matter who it is, it needs to be stopped or curtailed in order for the downtown to be a place where people will take their familis to shop and spend time. i know i won't take my child downtown and that is a sad state of affairs for this city.

I agree with concerned. This is most definately not a race issue and I dont think it helps solve anything if people start yelling racism. There are drug and alcohol problems in every race. The color of someones skin has absolutely nothing to do with anything. We need to find ways to make the downtown area a better place to be so that people can actually feel safe there adn want to go shop there. I know that I hate taking my kids downtown and that I definately lock my doors when I am driving in that area. Even if we just had some police officers walking about central Im sure it would help out alot.

It looks like this issue is creating a lot of conversation. The conversation appears to be moving away from the original posting and it may help everyone if people start brainstorming solutions Instead of working against each other, it would be more effective to work together to help resolve this issue. What constructive solutions do people have? Has anyone informed the local police of this matter? Maybe we can get more patrol units in this area?

ask our local police! they asked for a couple of bylaws to be passed so they had grounds to do something, since they have passed nothing has been done. rarely do we even have a police presences downtown and the foot patrol is inconsistant to the point of non exisistance. one officer told me that downtown is not a priority, if extra policing is needed elsewhere they will pull officers from the downtown to fill that. nice to know that all the businesses trying to revitalize downtown are not a priority! i called the dept once to have a drunk removed from the front of my store and was told to call the ambulance because by law they have to respond....nice!

I think it's a matter of, will the police do anything? Because they have to have adequate proof that someone has committed or is about to commit a crime.....So it would probably just be bothersome for people to be calling all the time, but they have a station downtown, why can't they just hire a cop to walk around all day! Oh wait, everyone would complain that taxes would go up.
It happens everywhere, right in front of me at a gas station i see people handing eachother little packets.
I think there just needs to be security guards hired, or cameras put up so there's evidence. It costs money, but that would result in returns as more customers feel comfortable coming around there.

I do agree that this is a problem in prince albert, it's a small city and this kind of behaviour is not kept to one part of town, it's everywhere in the public eye!
In other cities, it usually stays down in the "bad" areas. But here, it's prominent everywhere!

there is no longer a police sub station downtown

The answer Big Bob: In your backyard.
You seem to understand everyone's history, so you can care for them better than anyone else.

A solution to this will not come overnight and it will cost everyone money.

-- It must be lawful.
-- Included will have to be a long-term plan to get people see that their methods of making a living are not acceptable to society.
-- Make assistance readily available to help them. (everything from basic housing needs, job search, addictions concerns...etc etc.)
-- Document their needs, problems...perhaps new jobs could be created???
-- If none of the above works, generate a new "3 strikes" bylaw. If they repeat the same or similar offense 3 times, have them banned from City of Prince Albert.

Request to ALL posters:

- Let's get productive instead of destructive.
- Post flaming alone is just a waste of everyone's time. If you flame, you could at least have the courage to post at least one original idea or thought of your own.
(I am not perfect, but at least I try.)

So if I read into Cheryl's comment the way she has read into the other comments, She is saying that most whites are drug addicts or alcoholics that pick up hookers, alot!! Thats about how smart her comment is. Next time you make a comment Cheryl, please leave your racism at the door because if you think it's just the whites and other races that are being racists against aboriginals, you had better take a closer look! I am white with metis heritage and a shaved head, does that give non-whites the go ahead to call me a skinhead on numerous occasions? It seems you think the cancer of racism only rears it's ugly head against natives! Shame on you! If this is your town, where you were born and bred, then stand up and be proud of it! Natives, whites, chinese, black, ukranians and most other races and nationalities live here and all have their share of problems. I for one will always be proud of this city, with whatever problems it has!

The buisneses dountown have only to look at the low rentals above their own buisneses to find a solution for some of the problems for customers feeling safe.

PA Proud, that's one of the problems. I'm *not* born and raised in Saskatchewan, never mind PA. I never heard the phrase "Go back to where you came from" or "go back to where you belong" until I came out west. Those are hateful phrases that I can't stand. "We", obviously, all don't know where the people downtown are supposed to go. Any time I've heard that reference, it either means that someone is to go live in Europe or Asia or Africa or go back to the reserve, depending on where they appear to belong, usually the latter.

I'm not saying that one group or another dominates the downtown area. I meant to imply that both groups, native and non-native, are part of the 'downtown problem'. So where is BigBob going to send these people? Where do they belong? What happens if they were born and raised in PA? Where do they go then?

As for how to fix the problem, I have no clue. I've met some of the people from the downtown area and they don't want to be part of the rest of the world, it seems. They want their drugs or booze or money and not have to work for a decent place to stay. What some of them need is a good swift kick in the pants, but we're not allowed to do that, so that option's off the table.

Programmes will only go so far. If the people don't want to help themselves, they're not going to appreciate anyone trying to "help" them. Sometimes, there *isn't* a fix to a problem. You just have to accept that that's human nature for some folks.

By all means, contact the police chief and City Hall and demand more foot patrols. It won't do much more than move the people out from the downtown area into the nearby residential districts, but at least they're not in front of someone's business, right?

I want to thank @ Pooky, @Jim, and @Cheryl for coming up with some possible solutions. Does anyone else have some suggestions? I also want to reiterate what Tim said. Let's be productive instead of destructive.

Keep SeeClickFixing!

I would pay higher taxes for an increased police presence...I think it's an important part of improving the city. Because even just LOOKING at downtown is scary, scary looking people loitering everwhere. I can't walk down the street without being harrassed unless I maybe wear some very bulky clothing.
It's not like that in other places, i've walked around downtown Vancouver alone and felt safer.

Judging by the posts of PA Sucks and pooky, it appears the PEOPLE downtown are not the ONLY ones who we need to fix.
============================
Another part of the needed solution:
============================
- It appears that there are PEOPLE here that need a course on stopping racism. (since YOU are also a part of the problem)

Just Ask Google: Prince Albert stopping racism
=====================================
http://www.paherald.sk.ca/News/Local/2011-03-21/article-2350377/P.A.-group-fights-racism-by-using-pancakes/1
=====================================

btw: You can find scary people everywhere, not just downtown. :P

a friend of mine works at the mall doing security...he says its aweful...he kicks a drunk out one door, they just come in another...they eventually just have to deal with the "worst cases" and do what they can, but they arnt miricle workers..

my wife works at a business along central ave...they will drop off their taxes at H and R block..then stand in the doorway of her business waiting until their check is ready...well, they scare off all potential clients, you ask them to move or leave...they just move to the next business or tell you to "F" off and ask what your problem is...sometimes they come inside and pretend to look at stuff, admiting that they need a warmer place to wait....

cant we impliment some type of loitering bylaws?...how about inforcing the "drunk in public" byalw..??....would it help to hire some type of "rent a cops" working on behalf of the city?
how about putting in some bright lights along the riverbank...usually drunks dont like to be seen...

its not only drunks...its the young kids that walk around like they are wannabe gangs.....no one feels safe downtown and I worry about my wife when she goes in and out of the store she works at....

Terrible place to live right now..

Tim, no matter how much I want to agree with you unfortunitly I think your
wearing a little of the "rose colored glasses"

and I agree with you that you can find scary people everywhere, not just downtown...but you could also say that approx 80 percent of the scary people would be downtown, 10 percent cornerstone, 5 percent superstore, and another 5 percent trying to thumb a ride on the highways surrounding PA...

Play the percentages....I'm not trying to put you down, but I'm trying to be realistic

Not really sure how pooky was being racist? Scary looking people can be people of any color. I happen to agree that there are alot of scary looking people downtown.... I think a loitering bylaw would be great if we could get people to inforce it. I also know people who own or work in business' downtown and they say the same thing about people standing in their doorways and scaring customers away.

Lets just face the reality... would you drop your 12 year old son or daughter to go shopping on central by themselves? Would you drop your 12 year old child at walmart or superstore by themselves?? Probably not, I definately wouldnt.. It is scary downtown; and the people who are saying send the people back where they belong; well; go downtown; your going to see people of all racial backgrounds; not just one. It is sad that the police station is blocks away, and our downtown; which is a tourist attraction for most cities; is just absolutely discqusting.

Hey the city has a great idea raise parking meters fees cause that will really help out the downtown area - if there are no businesses there at all then they can raise those fees as high as they want and still not make any money --- really who thought that up sounds like they want the downtown area abandoned???

There are no consequences for people if the police don't think you have the means to pay the fine, lots of times they won't even write it. What a joke. This is a fact and was told to me by a city police officer.

race is irrelevent in this conversation. I always thought if you moved all the social agencies, safe injections etc. out of downtown you move the problem as well but where do you move it? Not in my back yard!! The police are way to busy already to deal with the same people over and over for this. A 3 strike rule is great but the kicking them out of town won't fly. Human rights issue i'm sure.

What about a mandatory rehab after 3 strikes? I know there are alot of social problems that need to be resolved and people need to take ownership of their issues and deal with them!!

As a person who works in Addictions, the three strike thing has been implemented in the past. Unfortunately, there is no way to enforce it. Rehab facilities are few and far between and are also voluntary. People have to want to take ownership amd responsibility for their actions. City council and PAPD need to take a heavier stance on addressing these issues.

What we need to hav is a boot camp for young offenders run by the military....if you become an adult offender then off to the forces you go and you can be the from line in Afganistan.

what a great idea! Boot camp would great and possibly get them into the military and on the straight and narrow.

They need to bring back the beat cop. Having them walking around downtown all the time might help. Yep, even in winter. They have those buffalo coats for warmth! I remember seeing cops wear those when I was a kid in Saskatoon.

we all know boot camp wont happen...

lets think of some ideas that might accually materialize

boot camp is a great idea, but some "human rights" executive somewhere would find something wrong with it....

think of something else

because they are safe there but stop to think they are someones children but obviously not yours you yhink maybe they need help not chased away

How about throw them in the drunk tank what ever happened to public intoxication being a problem. However P.A never does f all about it. One night someone threw out a mattress and some drunk pulled it in the alley to sleep on it. To me this is a problem. There is Homeless Shelters for these people but this city seriously needs to start looking around and seeing how awful it looks around here. If you travel out of P.A its rare you see drunk people stumbling around I mean we have all done it to some extent but come on it happens way to much and nothing is done. I work downtown and its scary to walk out of work to get into your car. I was at the Bank one day by Gene sports and a little old lady would not leave the bank because there was drunks standing outside drinking from thier brown paper bags and the cops drive by and just look at them I had to walk the little old lady to her car is that right no THROW THEM IN THE DRUNK TANK AND GIVE THEM TICKET IF THEY CANT PAY IT OH WELL THEN COMMUNITY SERVICE IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ya there are lots of good ideas but those who think the addictions help is the answer im sorry if im wrong but do we not already give enough of our hard earned money to lazy scum people who dont never work or even take good care of any thing am i the only one sick of seeing everyone get free money because of their race come on already i think its time to suck it up and enforce something

i think you a partly right but lets stop the drug dealers and the user will have to get cleaned up go down town and watch the dealers for a change not the users most of the dealers are well todo people or retired open your eyes for a change

our laws are a joke thats why there are so many scumy people walking around. Our government is teaching people that is pays off to be a criminal more than a hard working citizen. Everything goes to them they are more protected then we are. You get more strict and start kicking these people out and things will look up. Send them away to go to prison. You wanna do a crime go to manitoba or bc. Start spreeding it out. And get cops that dont just give warnings. I know several people that have been caught drinking and driving and have been let off with a warning. How is that right? and they wonder why we have such high drunk driving rates. We need to toughen up. Sorry to say but the states have a way better criminal system that what canada does! Maybe we should take some pointers?

I got a drunk driver pulled over once cause he was going down the wrong side of the bridge, the officer told me that they didn't give him a ticket because it was too much paper work! What would have happened if he plowed into vehicle and killed a family? Still too much paper work, well that is their job!

What do you propose we do with these people? Yes, they are people. The problem goes far deeper than what you see on the surface. Many of these people have mental health problems. They self medicate with either drugs or alcohol. They have no place to go because the system does not provide enough. Many of these people would be fine if they were medicated for their problems. The jails are over flowing with people who have mental health issues. We need to deal with the root problems not the symptoms.
When a child grows up in a violent or neglectful family, is it the child's fault that he/she did not learn how to live a law abiding productive life? There are generation after generation people like this. It's insanely frustrating. What should be done. These people are victims as well as vicimizers. People can't be forced to get off the drugs or alcohol. That is like somone else trying to force you to lose weght, it is only going to happen when you decide that it should happen.

The deterioration of the down town core and of Prince Albert is evident everywhere in the City.The days of walking down town with your children shopping or browsing are gone.
It simply isn't safe.The needles,drunkenness, and vulgarity are something that is here and spreading through this scenic northern gateway.
Not sure how or what has happened ,but is a sad state we are in.
Wish I knew how to fix this, Policing does not seem to be working and values seem to be a forgotten way of life.

The down town area has become northern Saskatchewan's ghetto.The type of activities that go on there are sub-human and disgusting to say the least.
Why is this not identified, and dealt with?.The City Council in all their lack of wisdom and trouble shooting skills have done nothing and turned a blind eye to this problem.
Why hasn't the Police cleaned these activities and the people responsible for this self degradation up?.
This City is becoming a half way house for the wayward and addicted to take refuge.
With the upcoming warm weather and summer coming these pigs will only increase in numbers and continue to embarrass the City and it's reputation.

Unfortunately, the charter of rights and freedoms gives the drug dealers and junkies as many rights as the hard working citizens. Not much the police can do in this age of political correctness, especially when the courts won't back them up. If they did what it took, really did what it took to clean up downtown, all the bleeding heart liberals would be screaming for their heads on a pike. It's only going to get worse, people. :(

Vlasic I agree with you.
Downtown PA IS the northern getto and it aint gonna get better There are no easy solutions and if someone even mentions something that would work they get jumped on by the political correctness crowd.
So since we can't fix it then we have to live with it. As for it being scary? I don't think so, I have no problem walking around downtown and no one bothers me...but then I know a lot of the people the rest of you are scared of and they really are not that bad. They have problems but most are not violent towards people they don't know. So instead of being scared and demanding someone else solve the problems head downtown a few evenings of the week and buy some cups of coffee. Then go out and pass the coffee to the first people you encounter and if they want to talk listen to them. Maybe after you get to know them they won’t seem so scary, in fact they may even become your friend if you let them. They are people and they have feelings so if you treat them fairly they will do the same back.

i am impressed finally someone comented that knows something about the down town people and good job hopfully people will take your advise

To the people who are calling others pigs,scum and other nasty names...it must be wonderful to be perfect like you. How nice to be so judgemental and self-rightous. Get a life and and have some empathy.I'm sure non of these people wanted to be where they are,anymore than they wanted you to be arrogant and stupid.

The people who wander around downtown definitely need help, not thrown in a drunk tank.
I attend University downtown and I never get bothered, nor have I actually seen a drunk during school hours. I do miss the times when I could walk along the riverbank and feel safe, maybe if the lower-rent apartments were moved or demolished you would hardly see any of them.

To "some one with a heart" It is people like you who have the "feel sorry and take no responsibility" attitude that has progressed this epidemic to the state it is in now.
People are encouraged to say it's not their fault for their own situations and not be held accountable for themselves.
With all the advantages there are out there now days,it is baffling why we have this problem at all. We should stop the sympathy, to a certain point, and protect decency, and hold them to a productive standard for our society.

to the self centered one: i almost agree with you but if you have ever had an addiction that you might own up to maybe stop and think if we got rid of drug dealers that take advantage of the addicted the problem would not be there ...

I sometimes wonder, if drugs were made legal, regulated, etc, would that put the drug dealers out of business? I mean, you could legalize heroin, and I'm not going to run out and buy some smack and a needle...or would it just create different problems?

Why do these people keep refering that this is a Northern Ghetto what is wrong with u guys? some people will say "this isnt a racist post" or "we are not trying to be racist the only person trying to be racist is you" this is bull crap, some of you people have gone so low to start descrbing downtown as being "Northern Ghetto" that is completely wrong, how can you people even think about speaking that way in the first place? what is going on? something getting you upset? Take your stereotyping and bigotry somewhere else!

maybe people are just sick and tired of seeing the same drunks in the same place everyday its not racist if its the truth get over the racism because it seems in this province racism only goes one way

I haven't seen any bigotry in this thread, or stereotyping, except perhaps for stereotyping those who abuse drugs and alcohol as a societal problem. Typical attitude, talk about a problem in the city and you're suddenly a "racist"!

but still why do people call downtown a "northern ghetto" tell me this vlasic you seem to know everything about anything, so tell me vlasic

I was wondering when the "Racist Card"was going to be played ...................Didn't even think this was about a Race.
It is about a problem,that has alot of people fed up with what they are seeing nowadays.Saying it is racist is a easy and underlying agenda for some who feels threatened and defensive for reasons only known to them.
Please stay on topic or don't comment on it.This is a way to discuss and explore different points of view..............the only one I have seen so far with malice was yours who declared "RACISM"

Why complain if u won't do anything about it?? if u don't want to see this anymore do something about it, i would love to see you and a bunch of these other people do something about it, take them to the unemployment office and show them how to find a job, buy them groceries, do whatever it takes to get them off the streets and quit complaining and calling downtown a "northern Ghetto".

I agree! Problems like this take a community to find solutions. As Chief McFee has said on several occasions, we cannot police ourselves out of these problems. We all have to take a piece of the issue.
I have worked downtown for over 5 years now, and I've been annoyed by drunks and drug dealers 90% less than the 40ish teenagers that drive past my house at all hours with subwoofers. My point is that people do not like seeing these types of problems because of a perceived fear and prejudice, not because they are being personally violated. This type of ignorance leads to a lack of compassion for people who have made mistakes and are now living with them. It is a difficult problem to deal with, so we complain. Most of us are guilty of exactly that. Complaining with out a personal dedication to fix the problem, is a cop out to make ourselves feel better about doing nothing. And with that said, I am not out there fixing problems as much as i should either; I just believe that putting down our city, the police, mayor and council, the drunks, downtown, or anything else, is just making the problems worse. Be apart of the solution, or don't be apart of it.

Well the police are trying, as the recent arrests of some 22 accused drug dealers indicates.

it's time they legalized pot;

watch the you-tube movie;

RUN FROM THE CURE; RICK SIMPSON

I dont want to say where I work located down town on central, but it is a very small shop and we have people surround our entrance all day long and it makes so many people hesitant about even coming to us. I also see police drive by all day long that dont do anything about it... Actually seen a younger cop honk his horn at a girl the same time someone was injecting on the corner of 13th and central.... i mean im sure he was diabetic that is...

and in responce to someone else... it took a 5 month investigation to get less then 3 pounds of marijuana LOL that isnt an accomplishment!

It is CLEAR! the Mayor and the City Hall managment don't care.

odds are if i went up to some drug dealer on central and tried to say something i be willing to bet id get stabbed......

to yup. if the city tears down low income housing in an attempt to remove the problem of having "undesirables" hanging out around the downtown core , it will not solve the problem taking peoples homes away and adding to the destitution will only cause a rise in homelessness. just because they are poor or have addictions dosent mean they dont have the right to a home . take away thier homes and they will be sleeping on benches in front of the stores everyone needs a place to live no matter what your background or wallet size may be..... to those who are pulling the race card grow up !!!!! poverty isnt a racial issue is a human issue there are poor and destitute in all races and from all backgrounds dont judge! the world can be a cold cruel place it could be you on that street corner next summer, no one knows what the future holds

The drunks are thrown in the drunk tank, sober-up, fed then released, repeat until night time then they "have a medical emergency" and are admitted to the ER via ambulance at the Vic as a "social problem" as it says on the ER monitor. Sleep there all night, get fed and repeat step one. I love sitting with my visibly fractured arm in triage as a drunk gets carted into the ER and placed in a bed, get out of bed and make a sandwich at the patient kitchenette, knowing where everything is without searching. As well as being on first name basis with the staff. I know the staff at the Vics hands are tied due to some policies, but come on. Someone please respnd that Im incorrect on this one.

over 10 years later and nothing has changed, except MORE homeless folks sleeping downtown

this is not just a PACity issue.

the majority of the homeless folks come from somewhere else. MANY of them from places that receive Federal funds to help them, but the money never makes it to them for the help.

We've known this for a LONG time, and when a Gov't tries to do something about it, there is an uproar, lawsuits, cries of racism, etc...

perhaps it is time for a Gov't to try "tough love" and put the $$funding$$ linked to the person and the help they receive

Just like our health care, the $$ should follow the patient

Actually a lot has changed. There are a lot less businesses downtown and hardly anyone goes there anymore. Drug use is more common, crime is much more prevalent, gangs have taken over from the common street thugs and the mayor no longer pretends to care.