‘Its a very scary situation’: New Waterford holding town hall to address drug-related crime

This Cape Breton Post file photo shows a burned building on the corner of 10th Street and Miner Avenue in New Waterford where volunteer firefighters battled an early morning blaze on July 27. CONTRIBUTEDArticle contentNew Waterford residents will get to voice their concerns about drug use and crime in the area at a town hall on Aug. 19.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentCape Breton Regional Municipality Dist. 11 Coun. Darren O’Quinn said he has been getting calls daily from residents with reports of what is happening in their community.Article contentArticle content“The problem’s been here for a long time, but it is getting worse,” he said during an interview with the Cape Breton Post on Friday.Article contentArticle content“I spoke with 10 business owners in this town this past week and they tell me that theft is at an all-time high in our community. I mean, it’s getting really bad … and it’s all drug related.”Article contentTHEFT, ARSON, DRUG USEArticle contentLocal businesses like Sobeys, Needs and the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. have been robbed multiple times. There have been fires, including one where the New Waterford Volunteer Fire Department had life-saving equipment stolen, at abandoned buildings and some properties.Article contentThere is open-air drug use in the middle of the day in the downtown area and some people who live near homes frequented by drug users have been yelled at and threatened.Article contentThere have also been fires at vacant and abandoned homes where people are squatting. There have also been fires at occupied homes, which some people say may be a warning of some sort.Article content“It used to be there would be a bootlegger on every corner. Now it’s drug dealers on every corner,” said one resident, who asked to remain anonymous.Article contentArticle content“It didn’t used to be like this. We used to never lock our doors,” said another resident, who has put up a fence since May due to recent crime in her area.Article contentDarren O’Quinn said crime is at an all-time high in New Waterford and drugs are at the forefront of it. CONTRIBUTEDArticle contentO’Quinn said police are doing all they can.Article content“There’s many layers to this. People can blame the police, but from what I am seeing, the police, they are taking these people in and they’re charging them and … it’s got to be discouraging for them, for the police, to arrest someone and then come to town the next day and see them sitting in the same spot again,” he said.Article content“I’ve been working very closely with police over the past few years on this issue. Police have probably shut down 10 to 12 crackhouses in New Waterford in the last couple of years. As quickly as they shut them down, another one pops up.”Article contentO’Quinn is organizing a town hall in New Waterford for people to express their concerns to police and politicians.