Burnaby residents fed up with drunk people yelling, swearing, vandalizing, urinating and defecating near their apartment buildings may be getting some help from the RCMP and local government.
A delegation of HighGate Greenway area residents presented a petition with 359 signatures to city council on May 28. They complained about a persistent problem of rowdy partying in the greenspace leading to a group of five apartment buildings north of Arcola Way.
“Residents, being the children and adults in the surrounding buildings, should not have to be exposed to such activities,” they wrote. “Many residents are afraid of their safety being compromised by walking through the public access, and will take other routes to reach the shopping centre.”
A city report presented to council on Monday in response to the petition explains that the benches and greenway are not on city property, but it is governed by a covenant requiring the space to allow public access.
Burnaby RCMP, which has a community policing office in a nearby building, reported receiving multiple calls complaining about drinking, drug use and raucous behaviour in the Greenway. They say the activity spiked last summer.
The majority of the partiers are residents of the nearby apartments and, police say, many are seniors, some in wheelchairs.
There was one assault in the area, according to police, but the rest of all other calls have been for disturbances and liquor offences. The cops plan to increase foot patrols in the area and target repeat offenders.
Bylaw officers will also include the area in their routine bike patrols to try to curb the activity. City staff will also ask the nearby BC Liquor Store to restrict sales of single beer bottles.
