Residents living near the Recreation Centre on 37th Avenue say they are fed up with the problems they associate with a small apartment building on the corner of 37th Avenue and 34th Street. One resident said the building was clearly being used by some tenants as a base from which to deal drugs and that having the criminal enterprise located nearby was scaring law-abiding people in the neighbourhood into moving out. “There must be at least 30 cars that go there everyday,” said the resident, who did not wish to be named, “This is a place to meet, to sell, to use, to get. And it‘s just gotten worse.” Several residents reported that they routinely find needles, crack pipes and used condoms around the neighbourhood and claim they feel intimidated by the people coming and going. They also said the Vernon Recreation Centre, right across from the apartment building, is being used by the crowd attracted to the alleged crack shack as a place to use drugs, complete drug deals and engage in prostitution, often in broad daylight. “There are people doing drugs in the stairwells, there is prostitution happening right on the grass.” “Can you imagine a kid walking by and seeing that?,” said another resident, who also asked not to be named. “You get people come by who are right out to lunch, they don‘t know who or where they are. If I walk around this area I make sure I have someone with me. There is fear here.”Rose O‘Neal, manager of the Halina Centre in the recreation complex, said that people have had their purses stolen by derelict types who asked to use the centre‘s washroom. Seniors also frequently get asked for money in the parking lot of the centre. “My main concern is when they are on (drugs),” said O‘Neal. “They can get very belligerent when they are asked to move on, but we don‘t let them stay here.” Doug Ross, manager of recreation services, emphasized that the recreation complex was a safe place to come and enjoy the facilities, but added that the centre is taking measures to ensure the area won‘t be used for improper purposes. “When we‘ve done renovations it has created nooks and crannies around. We‘re going to eliminate those and restrict access to stairwells,” said Ross. Ross said the addition of powerful lights and a plan to remove shrubbery at the nearby creek should go a long way to make the area less attractive to undesirable elements. Both residents and recreation centre staff praised the police for their increased presence in the area but also said that more needed to be done to shut down operations at the apartment building. RCMP spokesman Henry Proce said RCMP are aware of the situation surrounding the apartment building but were somewhat limited in what they could do under the drug house bylaw because the building housed “legitimate law abiding people” as well as a suspected criminal element. “There is no doubt that there is a problem there. I can‘t get into specifics but I can assure the public that we are keeping an eye on the place and hope to have some results very soon,” said Proce.
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