A group which speaks for women does not think an advertising/education campaign urging people to report crime to police is the way to go to addressing violence in the downtown.
The City of St. John’s and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador announced $180,000 in joint funding last month for an education campaign to increase the reporting of crime when it happens.
The Downtown Safety Coalition is made up of municipal and provincial government officials, the George Street Association, police, tourism and hospitality business owners, and Music NL,
The St. John’s Status of Women Council and several other groups penned an open letter to government a couple of weeks ago but have yet to get a response.
Lisa Faye, Executive Director of the women council, says it would be great if a public campaign fixed the problem, but that’s not how it works.
“Safety in our community improves when people have the supports they need. But that takes a big investment and it takes time,” says Faye. “Trying a quick fix such as this is not how it works.”
