Red Deer gathers public input on downtown safety concerns
About 50 to 60 people attended a city engagement session addressing crime, homelessness and cleanliness in Red Deer's core.
Why it matters
The feedback will shape how Red Deer's new governance committee addresses safety and homelessness concerns downtown this fall.
The City of Red Deer held a public engagement session Tuesday at the Red Deer Public Library, drawing roughly 50 to 60 business owners, residents and community partners to discuss safety in the greater downtown, which includes the historic downtown, Railyards, Capstone and Parkvale neighbourhoods. Feedback from the session will help guide the new Greater Downtown Governance Committee, set to form this fall.
Attendees raised concerns about break-ins, theft and vandalism. Bill Ramji, owner of Carnival Cinemas, said his business has faced repeated attempts by individuals to light fires in the alley behind his new location at the former Welikokad Event Centre, occurring three or four times in recent months. He said community collaboration, not just city intervention, is needed to address the issue.
Other suggestions included creating a warming centre or designated space for unhoused people, improving cleanliness around needles and waste, increasing police presence, expanding affordable housing, improving coordination of services, adding business security, and easing downtown parking.
Red Deer RCMP Cpl. Candace Hrdlicka said a community response team, including a downtown patrol unit, has been formed to balance concerns from business owners and vulnerable residents alike. Cpl. Samuel Holm, who supervises the downtown patrol unit, said officers shifted in May from ticketing to arresting unhoused individuals to reinforce consequences while offering access to help, adding that calls for service at City Park and the library have since dropped.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.