A downtown Nanaimo neighbourhood group is imploring officials to provide more resources to keep the area safe and clean.
The Victoria Crescent Association hired people in February to clean and sweep sidewalks in the Victoria Crescent and China Steps area on Wednesdays and Saturdays, Kevan Shaw, association president, told the Nanaimo News Bulletin.
“The merchants in the Victoria Crescent area and the property owners (thought) the garbage was getting to be too much,” said Shaw. “Also, there are needles. We probably found, in the last two-and-a-half months, about 22 needles and we have sharps containers for them and we make the two guys that we hired wear gloves.”
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Shaw said the association took the initiative to spruce up the area, but there is only so much it can do.
In a press release issued Wednesday, the association said it is urging the B.C. Ministry of Health and RCMP to base some of their resources out of the community policing office as it said it “makes sense to have street outreach workers and foot constables right where they are needed, and that’s in the easily accessible storefront location.”
City of Nanaimo council recently approved $350,000 for various measures to address social issues in the downtown, including resources for people experiencing homelessness and also increased cleanup and security services.
-with files from Greg Sakaki
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