The mayor of Cochrane says his council is working at attacking the roots of the substance abuse problem in his town.
Denis Clement says in the meantime, it’s addressing the immediate problem of loitering and littering – especially used needles – in the area of the Commando Pavilion. He thinks part of the reason is the closure of parks and other outdoor facilities dictated by COVID-19.
“What we’re going to do is have our staff drive by in the morning and do a quick run-through of the property and do some cleaning,” he states, “and hopefully with some proper education, people will refrain from throwing their garbage around.”
Mayor Clement says enforcement is not the answer, and clearing out loiterers from around the Pavilion would only move them to another part of town.
As a solution is being formulated, however, Clement says provincial police are stepping up patrols in that area.
“We’ve been in contact with our local detachment and they’re very cooperative. They’ve increased the patrols and they will continue to do that. They’ve increased foot patrols, they’ve increased the drive-bys.”
Tuesday night, council will review plans for a housing strategy and community well-being framework. The mayor says they will lead to a master plan to curb substance abuse.