Northeast Calgary grandmother calls for more safety measures in communities – Calgary | 24CA News
There’s no query Betty-Ann Blue Cloud is one powerful grandmother.
She will characterize Canada in a significant martial arts competitors this fall, however proper now Blue Cloud is extra anxious about defending her household and protecting her neighborhood secure.
“A few incidents have occurred with my grandson and with my daughter — two incidents within the same day,” Blue Cloud mentioned.
Blue Cloud lives in Falconridge however mentioned the issues persist in neighbouring communities as effectively.
In one of many incidents, Blue Cloud’s 34-year-old daughter was coming dwelling to Falconridge throughout transit and was violently assaulted.
“Her head was slammed into the sidewalk,” Blue Cloud mentioned. “She was robbed. They took her purse.”
What’s worse, Blue Cloud mentioned the assault occurred after her daughter stopped to assist somebody who gave the impression to be in misery.
That was the second incident for Blue Cloud and the final straw.
Earlier the identical day her grandson Hayden Neapetung and two of his younger mates have been working a lemonade stand.
Hayden mentioned seven teenagers on bikes bullied and threatened them till his good friend gave up their lemonade earnings, which amounted to $15.
Blue Cloud mentioned she will’t sit by and watch her neighborhood and surrounding communities deteriorate. She is looking on the police, the City of Calgary, and even the province to do extra to maintain Calgarians secure.
Calgary’s Police Chief Mark Neufeld mentioned violent crimes like homicides and weapons calls are down 30 per cent in Calgary, however concedes the statistics are of little consolation for individuals who don’t really feel secure in their very own neighborhood.
Chief Neufeld mentioned every district is chargeable for its personal crime administration technique.
“So they are looking to see where the hot spots are, and they know in many cases who these individuals are, so I think that cooperation between the community and the police officers working in that local area is critical to getting out and getting on top of this so that kids don’t lose $15, and nobody’s pushed to the ground and shootings are driven down,” Neufeld mentioned.
Blue Cloud has various strategies, together with a neighborhood block watch and extra seen uniformed officers.
Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal has began doing month-to-month ride-alongs with Calgary law enforcement officials to extend patrols and visibility in addition to determine hassle spots inside neighborhoods.
“I just had a recent conversation with Chief Neufeld and that’s what I was stressing upon, that maybe we need more patrols because sometimes it’s about seeing people in uniform, that increased visibility,” Dhaliwal mentioned.
Blue Cloud mentioned she retains her household fairly near dwelling today and hopes to see adjustments that make her neighborhood really feel as secure because it as soon as did.
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