“No less than 40 prolific or chronic offenders, targeted and arrested since April 1st”

Where are they now?

The Green mayor couldn’t possibly be talking about us…..could she ?

After the “sky is falling” reaction the first year and now having seen that it doesnt really mean much can we all just agree that this Macleans rating isnt worth the paper its written on?

Ridiculous… Sue Mcleans for slander.. They are just a magazine..

I wonder if one of the 40 offenders was the dumb ass who broke in to an RCMP officer’s house near Ron Brent school a few weeks ago……needless to say, he got what was coming to him.

This town is a dump. Always has been, always will be. This should come as a shock to no one.

This is a great city. Always has been, always will be. This is not a shock to anyone who loves this City.

Maybe Green and Olund should take a trip to the big city and straighten out those McLeans magazine folks. Maybe Pat Bell could kick in some cash. Oh, and they will need a translator too.

dan·ger·ous [deyn-jer-uh s, deynj-ruh s
1. full of danger or risk; causing danger; perilous; risky.

2. able or likely to cause physical injury

Several of those categories are not really “dangerous” now are they?

Weaksauce, your name says it all.

Congrats. Once again PG comes in on top! I think we should thank the mental midgets that have contributed to this 1st place standing. Small wonder why I was out of this town within hours of my last day of work. Never came back. Won’t either.

Every year it’s the same routine, the stats get read the wrong way. Here’s how it works the “stats” are based on reported incidents. From there the stats get slightly twisted. If an incident isn’t reported, there is “no stat” on which a bias can be formed.

However we live in a community where people are not scared to pick up the phone to report incidents or crimes, thus these incidents / crimes are added to the stats to which our magazine friends skew in there story.

I am happy to see folks reporting stuff they feel is important to act on. Looking out for our neighbors is important, hopefully they are looking out for us in kind.

Stats can be screwed with by anyone who wants to paint a positive picture or a negative picture, face it, look at how city counsel handles things and you know I am not off base….lol

Too bad our Mayor doesn’t have the intelligence to paint the right picture for the public as I have just done here.

If Im the only one who reports that Macleans is a shitty magazine then they must be a shitty magazine if you are using their logic. All jokes aside Professional has summed up the way stats are minipulated quite accurately.

The only issue with your logic Professional is that it assumes that Prince George is the only city in the country in which people “are not scared to pick up the phone to report incidents or crime”, which we know is silly to assume.

I would agree that I don’t think PG is the most dangerous city in Canada, however, to think that there are not serious issues there is a little naive IMHO.

I was born and raised in PG and over the past 10-15 years before I left, I observed a fairly substantial increase in gangs, drugs and general thuggery over that period of time. It’s no secret that PG is now a hub of gang activity and as the “Northern Capital” for many things, it also fulfills that role in more nefarious ways.

I don’t feel unsafe walking around PG, but I also have to be honest in that the more I travel around and visit other places, the more I come to appreciate differences in people’s attitudes, their general demeanour, community pride, social values and many other intangible things that contribute to the culture within a city. These things DO have an impact on the behaviours and norms within a city and crime is certainly one of those.

So yes. I agree that PG is not the most dangerous city in Canada but I can’t go so far as to say that this is simply an exercise in statistical manipulation. There are very real issues in PG that contribute to its issues and to ignore the fact that they exist does nothing to help address the problem.

Bottom line is we went from 11th to 14th! That’s a move in the right direction and no murders. That said we still have lots of room to improve.

They got it all wrong.
We are the most PLOWED city in Canada!

They plow my street with 1 cm accumulated.
So far 3 times they plowed and Im sure there wasnt more than 1 cm each time.
The first time they plowed there was a big melt 2 days prior so all they plowed was pavement.

We are the most PLOWED in canada im sure

I guess what I was just trying to point out was that any stats can be twisted, it depends on what side of the fence you are on (Pro or Con). I moved to PG in 2005 and made the move due to the community “feel” I got from strolling down the P.G. streets. People are friendly and face value, that’s a trait lacking in the provinces major centers.

Community involvement is good and being a proactive neighbor is even better. Are there areas for improvement, sure there are, but as a community we can work toward changing those areas together.

You will always have an element in any community, how you deal with it makes the difference between a health community and one that’s not worth living in. Thankfully P.G. has more “pride” than it does “passiveness”, that’s what makes it a place to live in.

How about instead of making lame excuses every year we actually do something to improve this town?

Everyone knows there is a large low-life contingent (gangs, career criminals) who unfortunately have made Prince George their home.

NMG: “I was born and raised in PG and over the past 10-15 years before I left, I observed a fairly substantial increase in gangs, drugs and general thuggery over that period of time. It’s no secret that PG is now a hub of gang activity and as the “Northern Capital” for many things, it also fulfills that role in more nefarious ways.”

Absolutely agree.

Yes there is crime and mostly it’s taxes paid to the city.

First again at something atleast. Nobody ever remembers who finished second.

And once again the usual lame excuses come from our mayor. Wake up and smell the roses or pulp mills if you prefer.

So the Mayor is quoted as saying “if we continue to contribute negative aspects that are not fact based, lots of rumour based stuff, then we’re going to continue to have some negative light upon us.”

So is she suggesting that the MacLean’s statistical weave is not fact based? They are fact based.

Using the Mayor’s favourite word, “conversation”, we have not had a conversation with the magazine which selects the facts and filters those facts.

Something for IPG to work on. They are good at it. ;-)

Fair points JB, NMG. Of course Prince George is going to be the hub of gang and organized crime activity in Northern BC. Where else will they centre their operations, Vanderhoof? In the five years I have been here, I have never “felt” like Prince George was a crime laden City, In fact, when I was in Kelowna, I noticed the presence of gangs on a daily basis and I was far more worried about crime there than I am here.

That said, as weaksauce (perfectly named) so ‘eloquently’ demonstrated, we have a lot of collective work to do to make our City one that more people are proud to call home and others to consider a relocation destination of choice.

I just moved away from PG to a larger center in Western Canada and didn’t feel scared or threatened in the 5.5 years I was there. Yes it might be number 1 three years in a row but I would walk aroung PG before many other Cities in Canada.

My suggestion to improve this is send the Mayor back to China and get her ask them what she would do as she obviously has no clue how to fix this here self.

Maybe if we twin the city, our twin can take half the blame.

Go Cougars

Weaksauce; I was born in P.G. and it was not a dump untill other places started dumping their unwanted in our City. We welcomed them with open arms and provided all the services you can think of even a coffee shop downtown, now one feeds off the other. How many other places have a Van delivering Needles and Condoms and other stuff in a Residential Neighbourhood, How good is that?? The B.C. Goverment buys a big burnt Apt. to house who knows who from who knows where. The City Council votes to let a Downtown Bar stay open till Three in the morning and allows another liqour store, how dumb is that when you are trying to clean up the Downtown. Why are we no. l ???

The crime in PG is entirely attributed to our regional status as the big city in a large area that includes a lot of impoverished third world towns. Communities to small to commit crimes locally so they go to PG and commit crimes here. Then we also get the federal and provincial governments dumping their problems here in PG as well. Its an industry in PG.

Having grown up in PG and lived here my whole life I wouldn’t be scared to walk almost any part of the city at any time of day or night… other than maybe the VLA area, which is a small isolated part of the city.

As I see it crime in PG is mostly committed by outsiders in the at risk groups and among themselves. Very little crime takes place by and between long term PG residents.

Established neighborhoods like the Hart and Foothills for example have probably some of the lowest crime rates in all of Canada.

Mayor and council change the OCP to suit their backers. Make back door deals. Disrupt neighbourhoods. Go on trips that are 100% useless at big cost. We are earning the number 1 worse run city in Canada and #1 crime rate. City Hall needs a house cleaning.

Manipulated stats, conspiracy theories, blah! blah! blah! 3 years in a row says it all people.I am sure that Bell Bond & whats his name are really excited about the great placing we have attained!!!

Start making T-shirts so they can be sold to visitors. “I stayed in the crime capital of Canada and lived!” Might make enough to replace some streets!

I haven’t read Complains Magazine in 20 years. It’s a media outlet.They try to sell the magazine by hyping junk. All about profit.

Yea though I walk through the city of crime I shall fear no evil, for my 6 gun and machete comfort me.

Since we were #1 for the last three years do we get to keep the trophy and the title?

It is a good thing the RCMP are getting a new performing arts centre because they will need to get some inspiration to improve the way they try to get out of that number one spot.

As I said before, it is a true statement of our area……the two fanciest buildings in northern BC are a courthouse and a police station.

The courthouse really doesn’t have revolving doors …. does it ?

“He notes that while Maclean’s says there was one homicide in Prince George in 2011, that number is the result of an administration issue “The actual death occurred in 2010, but the investigation didn’t wrap up until May of 2011 at which time the death was deemed a homicide”

Hmmmm that looks to me like it would have made a major change…. NOT!!!

So tell me, these are crimes which were carried out within the PG city limits, are they? By people who live here? For at least one month? Many after being released from jail? Or by people from Oregon whose DNA matched DNA found on the victim?

Time to look in detail at the methodology and common characteristics of the high and low scoring communities.

BTW, I wonder if MacLean’s has done any type of investigative reporting to help cities and their police forces to figure out how to be more effective. Probably totally uninteresting. Why try to be helpful.

I believe that people here phone the RCMP when there is no crime at all. (1) Some kid walking down the street with a gun.
(2) A suspicious looking guy in a van beside a school.
Umpteen dozen other calls with no substance. That is why we are #1. Too many paranoid people here. Anyway; some has to first, why not us?

Perhaps if the justice system didn’t put repeat offenders back on the street, crime rates would drop……across the whole country!!!

Here is my take on the situation.In 2008, I put myself in a dumb situation where I was vulnerable to crime as to which I had never experienced in this city,that I have lived in, at the time of 37 years.I had a knife held to my throat and was robbed by four guys.I am a big guy and everytime I am with my 120lb. dog and my 240lb.frame, people generally don’t even speak to me.However, if you put yourself in a bad situation,bad things are going to happen.Life is a crap shoot of highs and lows and some people never catch a break!

“He notes that while Maclean’s says there was one homicide in Prince George in 2011”

The stats used in this year’s report are from 2010, not 2011.

Read the actual report here
http://www2.macleans.ca/worst-cities As it says at the bottom “Using 2010 rates per 100,000 people for six crimes [/url]

Then read this special report about PG http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/12/15/crime-most-dangerous-cities

It very specifically says “Prince George, too, is moving on. For whatever reason—vigilant policing, circumstance, and, Stubbs concedes, some luck—at this time the city hasn’t recorded a single murder in 2011.”

I do not think Stubbs was prepared to speak on this report. I suspect the Mayor was in the same position.

From the article: “But it is the four murders allegedly committed over 13 months by Legebokoff that many find inexplicable. The burly, good-looking son of a prosperous, respected family grew up in Fort St. James, outside Prince George. By most accounts, he had an unremarkable upbringing, playing hockey, snowboarding and hunting. Yet, if police allegations are proven in court, he began a killing spree at age 19 with the murder of Stuchenko in October 2009. Three other murders followed the next year. He was arrested the night of Loren’s murder after an alert RCMP member stopped his pickup as he pulled out of a logging road in a remote area northwest of Prince George. Loren’s body was found that night in the woods. Legebokoff was charged with the other three murders after a 10-month RCMP investigation.”

So where did the murders take place and in which jurisdiction were they recorded? – City Division or north district?

“Umpteen dozen other calls with no substance. That is why we are #1.”

No, these are crimes for which people were convicted.

Couldn’t be becuse of our judges in this town? Rule of thumb…One day in jail and eighten months probation? Maybe the city, if they don’t like these stats could have a staff member from city hall go to the courthouse and hand out one way bus tickets to defendants who won. But then again, if that person won his/her case, why not two out of two? What’s the penalty, eh?

Lets be really honest, the only thing Mayor Green has done is raised taxes!!!!!
And next year too! No one will want to live hear after awhile. We will have to have an imagration program to get people to live here. Maybe the Chinese???

Lets get a mayor who really wants to improve the city. Everyone knows a city job is one of the cushiest jobs you could ever have.
Some of those city jobs are way over paid for the work they do. Some of that money can go to policing.
There are lots of jobs at the mills right now.

Perhaps if the justice system didn’t put repeat offenders back on the street, crime rates would drop……across the whole country!!!

…well ststed smuggles!

Flip these numbers around. If these stats were put up against some American cities….PG would be one of the safest cities in the US.

Just sayin….

A lot of people commenting and slamming the city, Judges and the RCMP.

If we need to reduce the crime rate, we need to change the fundamental laws of the land. We need to make sure offenders pay a heavier price for the crimes they commit. Meaning we need to stop harbouring the criminals, and make them responsible for the crimes.

Since Trudeau screwed up the country, the honest people of this country has been paying for the criminals way of life. We need to get back to the basics and change the rules so, that a honest person can make a honest living. Make the law, so that the person is responsible for their actions, and they pay the piper if they get busted. None of this slap the wrist crap.

We just have not had a leader in the last twenty years with enough Cahonees to do this. We have only had leaders with maintain attitude.

A lot of people commenting and slamming the city, Judges and the RCMP.

If we need to reduce the crime rate, we need to change the fundamental laws of the land. We need to make sure offenders pay a heavier price for the crimes they commit. Meaning we need to stop harbouring the criminals, and make them responsible for the crimes.

Since Trudeau screwed up the country, the honest people of this country has been paying for the criminals way of life. We need to get back to the basics and change the rules so, that a honest person can make a honest living. Make the law, so that the person is responsible for their actions, and they pay the piper if they get busted. None of this slap the wrist crap.

We just have not had a leader in the last twenty years with enough Cahonees to do this. We have only had leaders with maintain attitude.

Good post NMG. Its much different when you start to look from the outside to within our great City. There ar many other factors that make a City other then a crime rating.
Cheers

Macleans is not a magazine worthy of reading, but it makes a great birdcage liner. Who cares what they say in print?
metalman.

I’m with He Spoke on this. If you obey the law, you should be given a good chance of being a succcessful commited citizen who feels safe in his own home. If you don’t, your life is crap and you pay a price. This story about the couple with the kids on Moffat street who had guns, cash and cocaine on their premises were released on a promise to appear. Wow. Child Protective Services had to be called as part of the arrest so it had to have been pretty awful in that household. And they don’t even spend 24 hours in jail and they are free to walk the streets and add to the Maclaines magazine big bag o’ stats.

“While she says she is hoping the media will tell the real story of Prince George, she also issued a cautionary note “We need to do a much better job, all of us, in how we present ourselves our comments in the online world, it’s an instant world and its easy to find out what’s going on here. So we need to be conscious of how we contribute to that conversation, and if we continue to contribute negative aspects that are not fact based, lots of rumour based stuff, then we’re going to continue to have some negative light upon us.”

Is she crazy? Ms. Green thinks that we, being the people of PG, have to watch what we say online. I can’t believe she even said that. What a freaking nut job she is. I wonder if she is internalizing all he negative stuff said online about her and somehow relating it to our status as a crime ridden city. Not sure how she could be doing that, but by that comment, sounds like she is.

Hat Trick !!! Sweet !!

oops, wrong game…

I have to agree with you bornandbred. Ms. Green’s comments show that she (or her staff) read the comment sections on this site and others.

Instead of worrying about who’s saying what in comment sections on blog sites, she might be better served to focus on the issues that are facing this town.

Once people start to see real positive change and solid leadership, people’s attitudes will change.

Buy all the miscreants one way plane tickets to Victoria….that would help.