'People are afraid': Moncton residents to voice crime concerns at fourth town hall meeting

Another town hall meeting is scheduled Thursday for people who say they are fed up with crime in Moncton’s west end and want to see the city and police do more to stop it.

Frustrated and angry residents had their say at three information sessions last month. The meetings were scheduled by the city after one west-end resident started a petition in April calling for action to stop theft, vandalism, and drug use in plain sight.

Business owners have also expressed concerns about thefts, used needles and human feces on, or near, their properties and in schoolyards.

"There have been break-ins, there have been home invasions. People have woken up to find someone has entered their house while they're sleeping. People are afraid and people are frustrated,” Kimberly Christie-Gallant, who lives in Moncton’s west end, told CTV News Tuesday.

Moncton Mayor Dawn Arnold has attended the meetings. After the May 19 gathering, she said she and members of city council would take suggestions on how to solve the issues under advisement.

Residents have been told an action plan will be presented by a councillor at Thursday’s town hall. The city has not shared any additional information.

A common suggestion among meeting speakers was a higher police presence and more arrests.

“We really feel that we need better law enforcement, better RCMP coverage, a better policing model, better bylaw enforcement,” said Christie-Gallant. “It's escalated to a crisis level."

Although past meetings have been heated, some expressed their wish for more compassion for the city’s homeless population.

Those who have experienced homelessness and drug addiction, or who do community outreach work, say while some people do cause problems for the city’s residents, there needs to be empathy.

Thursday’s meeting will place at Harrison Trimble High School.

There are currently about 200 homeless people in Moncton.