Downtown violence prompts scramble for security guards

Worries about violence in downtown Edmonton have prompted many businesses, apartment and condominiums to hire private security guards.

"Right now we're hiring about 6 to 10 people a week," said Kyle Donovan, manager of Securiguard, a private security firm in Edmonton.

Two people were stabbed downtown within hours last Thursday a 14-year-old girl outside the Stanley Milner Library and a man inside Edmonton City Centre Mall. A daylight stabbing outside thelibrary on April 9, sent a 30-year-old man to hospital.

"With some of the recent events, we're finding that high-visibility security is a must downtown and you need it to act as a preventative," Donovan said.

Manysafety concerns are focused on the area outside the library's main entrance on 102nd Avenue. Youths tend to hang out there, as well as in Churchill Square and Edmonton City Centre Mall.

Last week, Mayor Stephen Mandel advocated moving theentrance of the library tothe south side of the building, opening onto a plaza facing the Westin Hotel.

But Supt. David Veitchthinks the mayor's idea simply moves the problem elsewhere.

"Regardless of where you put the entrance, there are certain factors that bring people into the downtown area," he said. "And they seem to congregate in this general area."

Veitch held a news conference Monday to highlight what police are doing to combat crime around the library, City Centre Mall and Churchill Square.

The number of beat officers patrollingdowntown streets has doubled. Police are also working more closely with Edmonton Transit and city peace officers, Veitch said.

"We've been sharing... things like what's been going on in the downtown area, our crime maps and things like that as well as giving them some of our prevention materials."

Police are also seeking funding from the province to hire a mental health worker for the downtown division.

"I think it's important because issues around mental health lead to homelessness and lead to poverty and we need to deal with these individuals differently ... and try to help them and move them on in their life and get them the help they need," Veitch said.