VLA Resident Implores City Council To Help

Wednesday, February 07, 2007 09:46 PM

VLA resident, Katherine Mueller, made an impassioned plea to Prince George City Councillors to break the chain of crime and violence that she says is destroying her neighbourhood.

Mueller spoke during the public input portion of this evening’s budget meeting, just prior to councillors reviewing the RCMP’s budget requests for 2007.

Her description of living in the VLA was candid and graphic.

She said she moved back into her childhood home at the corner of Victoria and Strathcona Avenues because her 75-year-old mother was afraid to live there alone. Mueller said they have bars on the windows to prevent break-ins and she’s trying to do her part, "I have installed surveillance cameras, high-powered floodlight - actually seven days after I installed the floodlight in the back, the crack house that was directly across the back alley moved - small victory, they just moved down the alley a bit farther, but a victory, nonetheless."

"My own daughter is fighting drug addiction right now and she cannot live with us at my mother’s because as soon as she goes out the front door: there it is, the druggies, the old johns, all the bad influences from her past. And you have to be strong to live in our neighbourhood, you really do."

Mueller also shared with councillors some of the questions neighbourhood children have asked her:

"Why do people hit each other in the heads with bats?"

"Did you hear the gunshots?"

"Why do those girls stand on the corners?"

She reminded the Mayor of his remarks at the opening of a new shelter for high-risk youth in our city that "making sure our youth have a healthy place to live is of the utmost importance." And she questioned, "Does this also include the children of the VLA?"

Mueller commended the RCMP for their valiant efforts in trying to stay on top of situations in the neighbourhood and threw her support behind the request for four additional officers, saying outside council chambers, "They should get 40 more."

She called on city councillors to, "Please help us break this chain, which is choking the life out of our children’s future."

Mayor Colin Kinsley thanked Mueller for her heartfelt description and for her recognition of the RCMP’s efforts. "They (the police) are doing the best they can, we try and fund the programs and fund the officers to the best of our ability, so, hopefully, we’ll see a turnaround there. I wish I had a magic answer for you, but I don’t, but we’ll do our best."

Councillor Brian Skakun said, "Thanks for not giving up on your neighbourhood, I think it’s really important what you’re doing."

"I wll never give up on my neighbourhood," said Mueller.

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Posted on Wednesday, February 07, 2007 09:46 PM in News by Michelle Cyr-Whiting

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Comments

Posted by: Jeth on February 7 2007 10:43 PM

Councillor Brian Skakun said, "Thanks for not giving up on your neighbourhood, I think it's really important what you're doing."

Citizen Joe Blow said, "Thanks for giving up on our neighbourhood, I think it's really shameful what you're NOT doing."

Posted by: Harbinger on February 8 2007 12:25 AM

I am sure Judge Judy at one time or another said, "If you don't like it, MOVE!!!!! But then again, I have an acquaintance who lives in that neighbourhood and she can't sell her home. No win, eh?

Posted by: anniemartin on February 8 2007 7:41 AM

Ms. Mueller is a very strong person to come forward with the truth of a neighbourhood that has gone down hill for a long time. There are a lot of decent people who live in this area and a lot of nice old homes. After having lived in the area, I sympathize with her. Hookers approaching my husband and son in our back yard. Hold ups at the 7-11. Watching the drug dealers and johns cruising the street. I could not go out after dark because it wasn't safe. We were lucky that we rented and did not own so we could move. Maybe its time that the City recognize the need to put a bigger RCMP presence in the area and get rid of some of the scum.

Posted by: trusted on February 8 2007 7:56 AM

Oh for goodness sake-how disheartening!
Those old folks who will be residing in that new Senior center on the drawing board at 20th and Victoria will have to step lively to avoid the so called "scum" from attempting to take advantage of them.
They best stay indoors morning, noon, and night.
We should all be crushed at the stupidity this Mayor and Council have once again displayed.
Oh yes, get some more cops out there to pick up the riff raff and an hour later release them. Now that is exemplary law enforcement in action.
I might add, police brutality has been a standard practice by cops all through the years. It is nothing new.It will never stop.
Need those 4 new officers to protect those old folks. High profile area for criminal activity. It is impossible to clean that area up for respectable citizens.
Give it up.
When will it ever end ?
Simple answer---it won't!

Posted by: DPJ on February 8 2007 4:35 PM

Katherine has done an awesome job in bringing up the issues of the VLA neighbourhood. Being a resident of VLA myself (on the western good part of it) and also a delivery driver whodelivers alot in the VLA, I see the positive and negative sides of the VLA and would love to see it improve. I do see the potential in having a good neighbourhood if people actually think of the positives instead of the negatives of the area and speaking out about it.

Posted by: Foo738 on February 8 2007 8:49 PM

I know of one couple who have moved to the VLA
I know of others who are thinking of moving there
Just to help
There are heroes
Perhaps the Mayor might move there?

Posted by: trusted on February 9 2007 2:29 PM

Aw fooey!
Don't eat that Elmer, it's horse _ _ _ _.
The only reason anyone would expose themselves to living in that neighborhood is not because they are heroes.
And who, pray tell, are they going to help?
It is probably cheap!
Or maybe birds of a feather-well, you know- they still flock together.
No one in their right mind even wants to drive there. In broad daylight.
Fools walk in where angels fear to tread.

Posted by: Foo738 on February 9 2007 8:19 PM

Gee whiz "trusted"????
Where do you come from
Such cynicism
Angels they are
And with very high incomes

Posted by: trusted on February 10 2007 8:15 AM

The hood is the hood is the hood!
I have friends in that area-only one couple fortunately.
I know what it is to drive through there in "broad daylight." I do not visit at night.
I park my vehicle in full view from a larger window. And every window closed, doors locked.
The area has had the infamous reputation for many many years. It will not change.
It is, in my opinion, not a safe area to live in, or even live close to.
Listen to the residents who cannot even sell.
Listen to Katherine inform about living behind barred windows, with floodlights and cameras. She openly speaks of the druggies, crack houses, and what goes with them, along with the futile efforts of the police to effect any control.
She places herself in jeopardy by speaking out.
She certainly appears to be a "good" person, but her pleas will be of no advantage to her or her family.
Think back to the Island Cache days. An entire wipe out was the only solution.
Very difficult to "wipe out" the hood.
But it would only establish another neighborhood as an unsafe place to live.
I, personally, could never live there. I do place a certain value on security and comfort. Some just do not care. They know no borders when it comes to a decent way of life. They know not what decent is.
I am not a cynic. Trust me.

Posted by: Foo738 on February 10 2007 1:12 PM

City Hall is not going to change it.
Perhaps we all need to help
There are good things happening at Carney Hill School
Helping others is difficult because we are at a loss to know what to do
Perhaps the school has some ideas?
We have to start somewhere
It's a pity that City Council has no ideas
In fact the Mayor started making it worse by sending the Johns and prostitution out of downtown to where?
Guess!

Posted by: trusted on February 10 2007 2:52 PM

Yes, and now they are going to place the Seniors in the immediate vicinity, placing them at risk.
It surely cost the city a sizeable sum of money when they attempted to put Black Orchid out of business. A business operated by the owner using her telephone. She created absolutely no disturbance for the neighborhood. The city lost in court, and now will be sued for damages. Did the taxpayer deserve these costs, due to the stupidity of licencing in the city of Prince George objecting to the renewal of her licence? And in the same area? I hardly think so.
For all the downtown is worth, the prostitutes could have been left there. To further infest the hood with additional problems would be justification for decent law abiding citizens to also sue city hall.
The only manner in which a "wake up" call can be imposed, the taxpayers must make the decisions creating harm to their neighborhood answerable by the powers that be at Prince George city hall.
Also, tougher laws must be initiated by the justice system. Crack houses must be closed and the operators jailed, and not put back out on the streets within hours. Pushers of drugs must be put away for a lengthy period of time. They claim that is too costly. Well, the damage these people cause against humanity have a cost that can affect individuals, and their families, the rest of their lives. What is the cost of that? What about the cost of the crimes committed to support drug habits? What do rehabs cost, and how effective are they, when the user is subjected to easy access immediately upon release? What is the cost to those poor little kids raised in squalor and by decadents of society? What chance do they have?
If there are so many "pot" smokers in the community, has anyone heard of one person being charged with impaired when operating a vehicle while stoned?
So many questions? So few answers.
Do we blame the majority of society for turning a blind eye?
Or do we lay the blame where it belongs?
We "pay" to live in a community whereby we rely on elected people to recognize our requirements for a secure, comfortable existence. The governments are to be held responsible-and I mean Federal, Provincial, and YES, demand answers and action at the Municipal level.
The public must make the demands, and be serious, or we will always receive the same treatment.
Are we getting what we deserve? You tell me?

Posted by: Foo738 on February 10 2007 8:00 PM

We need our downtown core
We need our rivers, they are our heritage
I don't think we are going to move City Council regarding preserving what we have.
Individual humanism is just not there
In some way, some how. it is going to have to come from each person in the community
There was a rally in the VLA this summer
Unfortunately it turned into a "religious fest"
There were people there from the University and from the community but they couldn't get a word in
Perhaps meeting in the park like last summer but just allowing the "town folk" and the University a space to talk could begin things????
I don't know I just search