By Tyler Waugh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Mount Pearl councillor Mark Rice said the city has had several emails from residents regarding criminal activity at what he is calling drug houses, trap houses and halfway houses that have sprung up in the community.
“They’re growing in the region, there’s a lot of criminal activity involved with this type of housing,” Rice reported during the roundtable section of the May 12 regular council meeting. “They are moving into some of our neighbourhoods in the City of Mount Pearl— we’re not blind to it, we know it’s happening.”
Rice said that, as councillors, they support the residents affected in those neighbourhoods.
“They are living next door to activity going all night long, there’s no rest in these houses at all. They are 24/7 operations, I mean three o’clock in the morning is the same thing as three o’clock in the afternoon,” Rice said. “It’s happening. It’s growing. It’s getting bigger.”
While his heart is with those residents, and there’s an option of sending municipal enforcement in there, he said it is a criminal issue for the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP).
“I am sure the RCMP are aware of it as well,” Rice said.
He said the City had a good conversation on May 11 with Harbour Main MHA Helen Conway Ottenheimer, who is the provincial Minister of Justice and Public Safety, Attorney General and Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management.
“She realizes what is happening and they are trying to put a plan into place right now,” Rice said.
Councillor Isabelle Fry echoed Rice, adding that one of the biggest frustrations is when residents reach out and, as city councillors, they are not in a position to help them because the issue is out of their hands and out of their jurisdiction.
“What we can do is advocate on their behalf and that is exactly what we are doing,” she said.