There have already been 122 calls for service in the area of the Bayside 7-11 in 2021 due to reported fights involving youth and other incidents, according to information relayed at an Airdrie RCMP town hall meeting on Nov. 3.
During the virtual town hall that pertained to local policing matters, Airdrie resident Elizabeth Temple claimed there has been a “huge surge in gang-like mentality” among younger youth in Airdrie.
“At the 7-11 in Bayside, kids are being beat up almost on a daily basis,” she said during the meeting. “They hang out in crowds there and get this gang-like mentality. Something needs to be done, the community is suffering.”
According to RCMP community resource officer Cpl. Gina Slaney, there has been an uptick in calls to the area, but they can’t all be attributed to local kids fighting or loitering.
“It is a significant number of occurrences that we as a police force are having to respond to,” she said. “It is concerning.”
Slaney said local RCMP officers are working on doing more to ensure the gatherings and the reports stop coming in.
“That is a big reason why we are here tonight,” she said.
According to Slaney, the RCMP first became aware of the Bayside 7-11 incidents in the spring of 2020.
“Kids were flocking there from certain areas for lunch time during school, potentially just to get out and get some fresh air,” she said.
As a member of the RCMP’s Community Resource Officer Unit, Slaney said that last spring, because of issues stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and resource shortages, she was the only RCMP member in the unit at the time, and was responsible for 29 schools.
“I can tell you for myself, personally, for at least two months, I was in that 7-11 parking lot every single lunch time,” she said. “I will tell you, when we are there, nothing bad happens. That is just the way it is.”
When the 2020-21 school year ended, Slaney said it became more noticeable that youth would come back to the parking lot.
“We got a number of complaints from citizens that said they feared walking through the parking lot to get to some of the businesses there,” she said.
A number of steps have been taken by the plaza management company, according to Slaney, such as hiring security, as the RCMP can’t devote too much time to being present in one area.
“If we get called to a disturbance at the 7-11 in Bayside, we respond,” Slaney said.
Upon arrival to these calls, Slaney said nine times out of 10, the situation has ended, although an investigation and report still need to be completed.
She added if the investigation deems it was a “consensual” fight, then no charges are pursued.
“People are actually meeting there for the purpose of fighting,” she said.
However, Slaney said if evidence shows someone has been attacked or assaulted, and the victims cooperate with police’s investigation, charges can be pursued.
“If the victim doesn’t want to cooperate, that is a different story,” she said.
A recent incident was brought up during the town hall, where a student was attacked at the 7-11, and the incident garnered plenty of social media attention.
Airdrie RCMP Staff Sgt. Troy Switzer said while there is a bylaw that pertains to public fighting, which carries a $250 fine, one of the things that members are trying to do is educate instead of enforce.
“In regard to a fight, if we show up and it is still occurring, we de-escalate the situation and try to educate the participants,” he said. “We are kind of trying to walk that thin razer line of community policing and community engagement.”
In terms of the “gang-like” activity aspect, Switzer said a criminal analyst has conducted a thorough sweep this year, and there has been one file reported to the RCMP. The file alleged there was possible gang activity and colours being worn by students.
“We did locate students wearing the same colours, but all of our analytics and investigative avenues show there was no gangs – they were car enthusiasts,” he said. “Nothing we could find substantiated any youth gang activity to date.”
Communications from Rocky View Schools (RVS) said in light of recent events, the public school division is focused on creating a safe and positive learning environment for students as they engage in school activities.
“We believe the greatest success is achieved when the division, school administration, parents/guardians, staff and students work together toward this collective goal,” read a statement from RVS. “When an incident arises, schools address each situation on a case-by-case basis to determine if disciplinary action is required and involve the RCMP in investigations as appropriate.”
Jordan Stricker, AirdrieToday.com
Follow me on Twitter @jaystrickz
