Open letter to the City of Surrey.
I am a Block Watch co-captain in the Woodward Hill area of Newton. Our neighbourhood has had its share of criminal activity with dial-a-dopers, prostitution, property crime and two home invasions over the last three years. While most of the crime is of a petty nature, there have been enough that were serious that we have a very active block watch and a good relationship with the police and bylaws – or so we thought.
A public walkway connects our neighbourhood in two sections to King George Boulevard on the west and the justice hub on the east. Neither of these access points offer lighting, are maintained for vegetation growth, fenced properly or monitored. And 57A Avenue, which connects them, does not have sidewalks.
The neighbourhood has pleaded with city and police officials for years to address these issues and have provided documented proof of the drug and prostitution activity, including photos and 911 reports.
The walkways are used on a regular basis by ‘binners’ who, with bikes and stolen garbage containers, ‘shop’ our properties.
Imagine our dismay when city work crews arrived today to install a wheelchair access on one of the walkways and did not even trim a branch or give any indication of installing some lighting.
Furthermore, when neighbours and both Block Watch representatives protested the lack of priorities and expense, they were met with laughter and comments of how pathetic we were being.
This all showed a tremendous lack of respect for a beleagured neighbourhood and its Block Watch team. Imagine, this work crew even dialled 911 and I guess intended to have anyone arrested if anyone interfered. No one that we contacted from community policing or city officials were available, even though our calls had been made in advance.
One has to wonder how many thousands of dollars were spent to make an unsafe area available to those with mobility issues and therefore vulnerable to those very unsafe issues.
Would anyone put their children in the water that still had sharks in it? Apparently the City of Surrey would.
Michael Gibbs, Surrey