Another story in the TJ this morning..........
https://tj.news/saint-john-south/pol...terloo-village
From the story header....
"Police increase foot patrols amid rising calls to Waterloo Village
Reardon said city council and staff are very aware of what’s happening in the Waterloo Village area and conceded that it seems to be getting worse"
The article talks about non stop fires, assaults, rampant petty thefts and vandalism. Perpetrators arrested and back on the street within hours. (No room in mental health programs and the crimes aren't serious enough in most cases for the criminal justice system to hold them.)
Bob McVicar apparently wrote to council.....
........."Last week’s council agenda package included a letter from real estate agent Bob McVicar imploring councillors and city staff to do more. In his letter he suggested a state of emergency be declared by council as a possible way of getting more resources from outside sources, such as the province, to help.
McVicar, a lifelong Saint John resident, told Brunswick News that as far as he can tell, things are getting worse.
“The encampment at Haymarket Square is getting bigger. A tent popped up at city hall, and one yesterday at Queen’s square. It’s chaos,” he said.
“And the folks who run it keep denying there is violence and they get very defensive about it,” he said. “They very vigorously make the point to me that there is no violence, no problems at the encampments, but there is, and the proof is on social media.” ...............
Seems to me that the increasing frequency in calls for service to police also support his view.
The fabric of civil society (at least in this neighbourhood) is unraveling.