Kamloops council and mayoral candidates pitched their promises to a room of local seniors at a Sept. 28, 2022, election forum.

(LEVI LANDRY / iNFOnews.ca)

Public safety is likely to rule the election this year when Kamloops voters hit the polls.

Finding the right way to deal with prolific offenders and reduce crime in the city will likely require higher levels of government, but on the street, it's something that leaves a senior Kamloops resident in fear every time she goes outside.

"I am in danger," Linda Inglis said. "They can push you down or they can rob you, or whatever."

Inglis is shorter than 5' and walks with a cane. She feels vulnerable walking downtown on regular errands as repeat offenders are released into the community.

It's not an issue in Kamloops alone in, but it's one that nearly every candidate wants to address.

On Sept. 28, twenty-four candidates for mayor and council spoke at an election forum aimed at addressing the needs of seniors.

READ MORE: Kelowna could get full-time RCMP Emergency Response Team

Candidates were limited to two answers for the entirety of the Wednesday forum. They were first asked how they would deal with public safety concerns and crime in Kamloops, with many quick to raise their hands.

Sitting councillors like Dieter Dudy and Arjun Singh, both of whom are running for mayor, and others running again for council, like Bill Sarai, are promising to lobby the federal and provincial government to address the courts and mental healthcare for repeat offenders.

"I would become a thorn in the side of the federal and provincial governments," Dudy said. "It's time to stop asking and start demanding that we see some action with respect to this problem."

He added the City needs more police officers and more bylaw officers. Both Kamloops RCMP and the bylaw department are understaffed and budgeted for more officers than they currently employ.

The notion of continuing to lobby the provincial and federal governments for quicker action on both mental healthcare and repeat offenders was echoed by most candidates.

Other candidates, like Darpan Sharma who is running for council, want to take more direct action on crime and explore what the municipal government can do.

READ MORE: What can a local politician actually do about crime?

Sharma wants to explore "all legal options" to stop B.C. Housing and non-profits from opening housing facilities in the city.

"We will be lobbying the provincial government for six months, strongly — maybe more strongly than the previous council has done. And then, we have to hold the agencies and the province accountable," Sharma said, pointing blame for a rise in crime in the city on shelters and supportive housing in the city.

Public safety was the first topic candidates tackled at the forum, and it could dominate the election.

However, the forum later focused on housing and healthcare as they spoke to the audience of local seniors.

Most candidates said they want to "reduce red tape" in order to make Kamloops more attractive for developers.

READ MORE: So what do school districts actually do and how much power do they have?

Perhaps the most unique suggestion came from council candidate Darrell LaRiviere, who proposed Kamloops create its own municipal housing corporation to compete with developers. According to his website, LaRivere's proposal would see the creation of the "Kamloops Housing Company" to focus on affordable housing, rather than profit.

It's a proposal that's been launched in other cities already like Calgary and Tofino, with the suggestion most recently on the table in Burnaby, according to The Tyee.

When asked for their solutions to address the needs of local seniors, the answers varied, but mostly focused on health care.

Council candidates Kelly Hall and Jesse Ritcey suggested the city should make it easier for family doctors to open practices in Kamloops, which city staff is already exploring.

Council candidate Nancy Bepple, who organized the event, and mayoral candidate Sadie Hunter focused on accessibility.

Both of them said city infrastructure is inadequate for people with mobility issues and they would like to see access to city services or use of sidewalks made easier.

The forum was one of several planned for council and mayoral candidates ahead of the Oct. 15 election. Most attended on Wednesday afternoon, with the exception of three council candidates and mayoral candidate Ray Dhaliwal.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2022