Connaught Motor Inn Business License Hearing Underway
Prince George, B.C.- RCMP Superintendent Warren Brown says the Connaught Motor Inn Ìs the most troublesome hotspot for crime among hotels or motels in the City of Prince George.
According to Brown, there have been more than 700 calls to that site over the last few years, but he says “It is our fishing hole” as police often attend to the site without being called and can usually find some sort of criminal activity underway at the site on 15th and Victoria. “From outside drug trafficking, high risk missing people, prostitution and violence” all activities Supt. Brown says his officers might find at the site.
Property owner Joe Carhoun tried to get Supt. Brown to buy into the idea that the Connaught is a victim of location, that it is just a collecting area for people who .have accessed alcohol or drugs elsewhere. Supt. Brown said no, “Your property is the hub of this activity.”
Carhoun says Police never contacted them directly to discuss the crime issues, “We had no idea until just lately” said Carhoun who said the manager calling police to deal with issues “was helping the police and the community.”
Supt. Brown told Carhoun he could note two specific suites where there was stolen property, violence, intravenous fdrug use “There were needles, the conditions were squalor, it is filth, and in my opinion the management is doing the tenants who are vulnerable people, a great disservice.”
Councilor Grath Frizzell says the stats indicate police are visiting the Connaught Motor Inn every 1.7 days. “In my estimation , the number of (police) calls to this location outweigh all the other hotels and motels combined” said Supt. Brown.
Council is being asked to make one of four decisions:
- Cancel the 3 month business license suspension that was to start on June 1st,
- maintain the suspension
- reduce or increase the suspension
- cancel the business license.
The City will call 6 witnesses, and the hearing is expected to last much of the day.
Comments
So…..is there a long term solution in mind? Even if the place gets shut down and torn down the illegal activity will just move to another location.
In fact the only solution is an increased police presence….which has a high increase in costs for us tax payers.
The problem is not the building or establishment. If this is the worst spot, at least it makes it easier for the cops to check out the fishing hole.
Yes it probably should get improvements done, but all of us wants to be the member of the NIMBY association. Thus it is not all bad that it ends up at this location.
Can you stop drug useage? Can you stop prostitution? Can you stop illegal drug deals. If you know how to do it, enlighten us.
The reality is, not by choice but by squeezing the activities out of other areas it is now concentrated on this property. I think it should be better monitored thus, ensuring that no kids are involved. The building is getting pretty rundown, due to lack maintenance and reinvestment. But that is the owner’s will. Thus at the end of the day, buildings will get condemned. Making the property worth less than the value of the land.
The owner’s could sell the property, and new owners can reinvest money into it, and chase out the vagrants. but then the police will need to discover the next fishing hole.
“…but then the police will need to discover the next fishing hole.”
So what? The police are paid experts at that kind of job! Hopefully the next “fishing hole” will be outside of city limits…as long as all the mostly free services for that part of our city population are concentrated downtown it will be somewhat of a losing battle.
Shut it down, tear it down, and put something in that is worth while. That is the most high-profile intersection in the downtown and can be used for something far better than a hotel for scum. Gentrify PG!
For kicks I just googled the guy that owns it, Joe Carhoun. There are tons of orders against him. He is a complete slumlord and is doing this all over the province!
Wow! I just did the same out of curiosity. He sounds like a real winner.
Most likely why the council didn’t believe a word he was saying, they knew of his shadiness.
That’s what happens when business owners don’t even live in the city they do business in. Once again another useless idiot who lives in Vancouver while the business suffers up here in Prince George. Suspend the license just like what happened with the crack shack just up the street from this place.
Checked out the web, he seems like a real piece of work. too bad he owns the Red Coach Inn. I’m sure his little pyramid is going to be collapsing pretty soon. when the banks stop lending him money, or call in his mortgages.
A real slumlord living off the taxpayers who are paying the rent , the Motel should have been condemned a long time ago. Motels do up grades painting new furniture ect. where have the people that check this stuff out been?? Do not paint the whole area with the same brush just because a couple of Motel owners were able to scam the system. If they do not care about the Motel sell it to a chain that could bring it back to its former glory. It would also be nice to see some green space there.
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