Episode 41 begins with a big ‘thank you!’ to our growing audience of listeners and supporters, and a brief recap of recent podcasts about core area homeless encampments – including a new one by the Salter bridge. As Marty Gold explains, this is a failure of leadership – starting with former Mayor Brian Bowman and continuing through the current council.
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7.54 Part 2 – We catch up on the Crime Courts & Public Safety update with thanks to our new sponsor, Jamrock Security:
– Hear the numbers behind the huge hike in crime in Winnipeg and Manitoba with the data from StatsCan, reflecting the descent into chaos since the election of the Trudeau government in 2015.
– One of the reasons there’s more guns in play? A recovering addict in the Morberg House program explained, “If you’re selling drugs and someone can push you down and take your drugs, you’re not going to do very well.”
– Meanwhile, North End safety activist Sel Burrows has joined the chorus decrying the violent unprovoked attacks by youth and describes a new trend he’s seeing: armed “ganglets” terrorizing anyone they target.
– The fear of violence downtown has resulted in a business exodus, with the area having only 2 remaining coffee shoppes.
– As Marty explains, he had noted the expansion of 24/7 corner stores in the inner city and had wanted to speak with the owners of Quickie Marts about trying to fill the gap left by 7-11 shuttering so many locations. Instead, the first mention of the chain is about the shotgun blast fired by a shoplifter on Tuesday, seriously wounding a clerk at the Logan and Tecumseh location.
– The details are scarce but a woman was charged with attempted murder when she knifed a 6 year old child. Homicide #19 was only narrowly averted by emergency teams.
– The youth violence isn’t just a Winnipeg thing, as a basketball game turned into a horror film in Thompson when an armed 14 year sought to settle some scores and attacked 2 other teens.
– MMIW protesters made their way to the downtown cop shop causing damage, upset that a group leader was arrested for thretening the life of a security guard at the Brady Landfill. What do they call it in other jurisdictions when police stations are attacked?
You’ll hear why the actions of extremist elements diminish public sympathy and swings support behind Premier Stefanson for her stance not to risk the lives and health of searchers for two bodies believed to be in the Prairie Green landfill. An expert sent in his math about the costs and potential effects on “good people (being) traumatized.”
– Marty notes the elected politicians who have kept silent about this, about rampant public disorder, and about how even shoplifting is an everyday sight now all across the City. It’sdispiriting store employees and shoppers as they watch their community become more dangerous. TGCTS is committed to speaking out for those affected by the violence and crime.
Coming up: More on the $5M Parker Lands court loss debacle and the ‘unrelated’ self-isolation of Councilor John Orlikow; Marty’s visit to a homeless encampment in South Point Douglas; and, a special Provincial candidate interview.
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