Chris Clegg
It was famous Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz who once said, “Nothing good happens after midnight.”
His quote is often confused with another quote: “Nothing good happens if you aren’t at home between midnight and 6 a.m.”
Crime statistics are consistent. Most crime occurs between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.
With that said, why in the world are there so many people out on the streets of High Prairie between midnight and 6 a.m.?
Last week, we counted four different groups just after 4:30 a.m. Another early morning just after 5 a.m. it was three groups. These people, dear readers, were not children. They were young adults.
Many people in town are quick to paint them all with the same brush: they are the homeless. You also often see them during the day in front of stores, at MacIntyre Park or the High Prairie Museum, the old Ukrainian Church and Jaycee Park.
Most citizens have no idea who many of these people are. They appear to be strangers who appeared in town from thin air. It is puzzling to imagine what a young man would be doing pushing a shopping cart full of “whatever” down the street at 5 a.m. Perhaps not puzzling at all. Make up your own mind what is going on. He isn’t going to the laundromat.
At our office, we never locked the doors early in the morning. Many times, we do now. Some, not all, of these people appear to be impaired by something. An impaired person is potentially a dangerous person. Calls to South Peace News have raised the alarm. Some are afraid to walk the streets. Whether they have valid fear of walking the streets is not the point. The point is they are afraid. It is what makes the problem real.
This has been going on for weeks, if not months. Nothing is being done. It is not as easy as rounding up the herd and penning them up. Valid charges and a valid prosecution must occur. And let’s be honest – not all of these people are criminals.
It is safe to assume many of the homeless have serious mental health issues. Along with it comes addictions issues. And an addict becomes desperate when it’s time for a fix. Is High Prairie a ticking time bomb waiting to happen? We pray it is not.
Ask yourself, would you want to work in a store between midnight and 6 a.m.?
High Prairie is home to many intelligent people. Many are keen to solve problems and make a better life for all residents. Why has the homeless problem not been dealt with? There is no easy solution.
High Prairie is no different than many other communities with a similar problem. By all reports, Peace River is worse. Cities like Edmonton and Lethbridge are horrendous.
What to do? We have no solution. The only solution is very costly and very time-consuming. Residential and addictions treatment is not cheap.
Human beings are mostly a compassionate beast. We do not want to see people suffer. We want the best for everyone, if possible. It is what makes watching the homeless so difficult for many. Just how close were any of us to slipping into the pit of despair many of these people have fallen into?
Perhaps that is what scares us most.