Calgary hit by more violent crime after Gondek pledged resources to keep public safe
In 2021, Mayor Jyoti Gondek, then-councillor for Calgary's Ward 3, and eight of her colleagues on the City Council voted to remove $20 million from the Calgary Police Service budget.
A fatal shooting occurred in downtown Calgary Wednesday night outside the Chinese consulate — the city's second shooting that day.
Law enforcement closed off 6th Avenue along 10 Street S.W. with crime tape after locals found a dead body lying next to a running vehicle, as first reported by the Counter Signal.
Police said they identified a suspect and vehicle but did not provide more details. They also tended to a second related crime scene with bullet holes through a home window near 3 Avenue N.W. and 9A Street N.W.
A resident in the area said he heard gunshots around 9:30 p.m. "I was sitting on the couch, and suddenly I heard three or four — I thought they were fireworks — but when I came down, I looked from the window, and I saw the car was moving," they said.
"The car was in the centre of the parking lot — a black SUV — I didn't see much, but as soon as I looked out the window, it went out quickly." The suspect remains at large.
During a public safety press conference, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek walked away from the podium after a journalist asked her to clarify her support for defunding the police amid several violent stabbings that have residents concerned for their safety.https://t.co/701cADrwji
— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) April 6, 2023
During an April 4 press conference on public safety, Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek walked away from the podium after a reporter asked her to clarify her support for defunding the police amid several violent stabbings that had residents concerned for their safety.
Counter Signal reporter Keean Bexte questioned Gondek over her past commitments to defunding the police after the stabbing of two women in downtown Calgary in March, prompting the mayor to announce a new action plan for LRT safety.
"Just a handful of months ago, you were fighting tooth and nail against increasing the police budget and actively supporting and defunding the police rhetoric. I'm just wondering when you realized that police forces were not optional. Did it take the random stabbings and police officers getting killed to realize it was important to fund police departments?" asked Bexte.
"How can Calgarians trust you when you flip-flop on basic issues like public safety?" Gondek disregarded his question and walked away from the podium.
Rebel News' Angelica Toy spoke with Calgary residents about the impact of rising crime in and around public transit systems.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 9, 2023
FULL REPORT by @_angelica_toy: https://t.co/fAWWThGjhE pic.twitter.com/8mBH0tABdQ
In a March 30 news conference before city hall, Gondek announced Calgary Transit would double the amount of security present at its stations, making it clear to city administrators that she expects immediate action and resources deployed to address LRT safety concerns.
In 2021, Gondek, then-councillor for Calgary's Ward 3, and eight of her colleagues on the City Council voted to remove $20 million from the Calgary Police Service budget.
"I have made it clear to the Administration that I expect immediate action and additional resources to be deployed," she said. "We cannot wait for the next tragedy to occur before something more is done."
Unfortunately, the city has since been hit with a wave of violent, sometimes fatal crime, despite law enforcement claiming that shootings are down 37% compared to the same period in 2022.
On Wednesday, a shooting in front of the downtown public library left one person in serious condition on a Calgary Transit bus. Police arrested two people in that incident.
Police chiefs and premiers alike hold grave concerns over the safety of first responders, with nine officers dying while on duty in the past six months.https://t.co/zjFcO4uEux
— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) April 9, 2023
Later that evening, one person died after being shot, and another was injured at the Kensington Safeway near the Sunnyside LRT station.
Tuesday afternoon, Calgary Police discovered a body found stuffed into a suitcase at the 5500 block of 1a Street S.E. in the Manchester Industrial area. They've since ruled the death of 62-year-old John Sidney Taylor as 'suspicious' and are seeking the public's help on information related to the incident.
"It is believed that Taylor died elsewhere, and his body was transported to the location where it was found," reads a police press release. "Quick action by responding officers and investigators led to one person being questioned, and their involvement is pending further investigation."
An autopsy completed Wednesday provided no clarity on the victim's death. "Taylor's death is being investigated as suspicious given the circumstances in which his body was disposed of," said police.
As Calgary's mayor tries to continue criminalizing protests she disagrees with, police have apparently opened a hate crime investigation into Pastor Derek Reimer after he was kicked out of a public library for protesting an all-ages drag event.
— Rebel News Canada (@RebelNews_CA) February 28, 2023
Help us https://t.co/SkBvDLMAR8 pic.twitter.com/osJfGZLciX
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