Gang Wars Have Police Knocking On Doors

There is a war in our City between two rival motorcycle gangs. This has caused several fire bombing incidents and some drive by shootings to take place. So far, one innocent person has been shot, thankfully not killed.
The thing about this is that it is not happening in the North End, and it is not happening Downtown. It is happening in the suburbs. It is happening where most Winnipegers live and feel safe. Up until now, very little in the way of violent crimes have happened in these outlying areas. And since this gang war has started in the suburbs, the Police have taken serious actions. They are now going to visit homes and inform the residents that there are gang members living in their communities, according to a Free Press article today. Their belief is that people would be better able to protect themselves and help the police if they knew there was a potential danger near them. The police will not advise the residents who the danger is, or where they live. They can't. It is against the privacy laws, or some such thing. But they are taking the steps to inform their neighbours.
As a resident of the North End, I am a little confused by these actions. I am confused that they are happening in the suburbs. And I am confused that they have not happened in my community and on my street. Why have the police never dropped by my house to inform me of dangers in my neighbourhood, my community, and on my street?
The police are on my street almost every day. And they attend one particular house on a very, no sorry, extremely regular basis. When asking them what is going on, we get no answer. They cannot tell us. When wanting to know why there is police presence on my street to such an extent, we are not given an answer. And when asking a very specific question on a very specific youth that was caught with a duffle bag full of guns and ammunition last year, I was told it happened the next block over. I was told that by the Police. After speaking with a neighbour on the next block over, the reply was, oh no, no, no, that was your block. The neighbour saw the police in action during that incident. So why, when we do get information, it is incorrect information, and outright lies?
And why are the police giving information now? Why are the police visiting the suburbs to inform residents of gang affiliations? Is this a new tactic? Will this extend to the North End, Downtown, and West End as well? Is this a new strategy for the WPS city-wide? We want to start feeling safe too you know.
The North End is not entirely filled with thugs and gangsters, there are many law abiding citizens who choose to live here. We would like the same treatment by the Police as the suburbs seems to be getting now. Let us know what is going on, on our streets. We want to know.
If gang wars or gang problems are happening on our streets we want to know. If gang houses are on our streets we want to know. If gang members live on our streets we want to know. If gangs are storing guns on our streets we want to know. Just throw us a bone, would ya!

BFI Removes Only Half The Garbage

The BFI garbage truck came down our back lane this afternoon. Actually, they arrived about half an hour after my last post. Maybe I jumped the gun a little on saying they may not be removing our garbage. Or am I?
I went into the back lane after the garbage truck had dropped by to remove our garbage. I could hear it as it made its way down the lane, coming to the dumpster behind my property. I saw the autobin raised up in the air, and contents spill into the huge BFI truck. Then the truck moved ahead, screeching and squeeling like a machine in pain. The truck proceeded to empty the dumpster two doors down from me, and drive on. I could hear the moans coming from the truck.
In recent weeks, on my walks down the back lanes, my husband and I have noticed huge puddles of fluid being extracted out of the BFI trucks as they lift the autobins and empty them, and then a few feet away, when the truck crushes its contents. Today was no different, in finding puddles of fluid on the ground.

In addition to the puddles of fluid from the BFI garbage truck, I also found dumpsters that remained full. It seems that only half of the autobins in my lane got emptied. The remainer are still sitting in the lane, overflowing like they have been for over a week.

So again I ask, what is going on?

Is BFI capable of fulfilling their contract with the City of Winnipeg in waste removal, or not?

The removal of garbage is a Health concern, and the removal of garbage must continue, in the North End and all other areas of the City.

And you can bet I will keep you posted.

Isn't It Garbage Day Today?

Today is Thursday. That means it is garbage day in my back lane. Thursday has been garbage day for me since I started this blog. But today, the garbage remains.
I was speaking with my City Councillor, Ross Eadie, earlier this week regarding other issues going on in my neighbourhood, when he mentioned to me that the company contracted to pick up our garbage (BFI) may not be doing such a good job of late. He mentioned that several people throughout the autobin areas have been calling in, saying their garbage has not been picked up. And he said something about BFI not being able to pick up the autobin garbage anymore. There was some mention of their trucks being broken.
Now, I do not know exactly what is going on. And I don't know if BFI has some trucks working, and others not working, or exactly what is going on regarding the functionality of the BFI fleet of garbage trucks. All I know is what I see.
When Councillor Eadie mentioned the issues with garbage, I thought, hmmm ..... that explains why my lane looks the way it does. The dumpsters are all overflowing, and almost every dumpster has a couch, chairs and/or mattresses in and around them. Dumpsters that are normally only half or a third full by garbage day are overflowing. And I don't actually remember seeing the dumpsters in my lane emptied last week. I do remember thinking they got full, or overfull very quickly. They were already overflowing by Friday night last week. But again, I was not present all day Thursday and Friday to verify for sure if they were emptied or not.
Then, there are the dumpsters in the surrounding lanes. They are not overflowing, or at least not all of the dumpsters are overflowing. Maybe one or two in each lane have an over abundance of garbage.
So, taking that all into account, I was not sure what was actually happening in my back lane and the back lanes of surrounding streets.
But today, the garbage remains.
Now, I am wondering how much truth there is to the talk of BFI not being able to pick up garbage from autobins.
Time will tell. But you bet you haven't heard the last of this one, if my garbage is not picked up soon.

When Is Criminal Behaviour Not Criminal Behavior?

Well, I am sorry to say, I am not over this issue yet.
We had a bit of an incident yesterday, with an intoxicated individual busting through the neighbours hedge and attempting to open a window with his keys. This was followed by the Police advising me that no crime was committed. And the landlord wanted to know what I expected her to do about it.
Let me re-word this.
What if this happened in Charleswood?

What if an extremely intoxicated individual was seen breaking his way through a thick hedge in your neighbours property? What if you heard him snapping branches and struggling to get through the hedge? What if he made his way into the neighbours yard?
Answer: vandalism, public intoxication, trespassing

What if this intoxicated trespassing vandal proceeded to go the window of the next house over and try to cut the screen open with his keys? What if he kept trying to pry the window open? What if you knew the only person on the lease of the suite from that house was a female?
Answer: attempted break and enter

What if this same intoxicated person left the yard and moved to the back yard of the property he was trying to get into? What if he wandered around the yard for a while? And, what if he finally got into his truck and drove off?
Answer: public intoxication, driving while under the influence

What if this same person came back, crashing his truck into the fence in the yard he drove into? What if he was still intoxicated? What if he decided to pass out in his truck to wait for the person who lived there to come home and open the door?
Answer: driving while under the influence, property damage, public intoxication

So, why are all of these things allowed to happen in the North End?
Regarding the Police:
Why did the Police on the phone tell me no crime was committed when I told her about the hedge, the trespassing, the attempted break and enter and the individual wondering in the back yard of the residence he tried to get into? Why did the person tell me they probably live there?
When the Police were later called after the intoxicated person came crashing back into the yard, why did the Police tell my husband there was nothing wrong with this intoxicated individual waiting in his truck to be let in because he told them he lived there?
Regarding the Landlord:
Isn't a landlord responsible for their tenants? And isn't it their responsibility to have their tenants control their guests, friends, or others they allow in and around their residence?

What is really going on here? This is not an issue about my garbage not getting picked up. And this is not an issue of neighbours not cutting their grass or maintaining the outside of their houses. This is an issue of upholding the laws and protecting citizens property and safety.
And while I am at it, what about the illegal dumping landlord that tried to run me down with his van and the Police said they were not going to write it up? I was told not to go down his lane anymore when he is around.
So, I ask you, what is really going on here?

Male Attempting To Pry Window Open With Keys

I was sitting on my front steps this evening, minding my own business, when ......
An extremely intoxicated (Aboriginal in appearance) gentleman stumbled and pushed his way through the edge of my neighbours hedge. I could hear the branches breaking as he pushed further through the trees. He made his way into the neighbours yard. I got my husband, because I know this man is not welcome in the neighbours yard. We had a look, and saw the man approach a window in the next house over to the yard he just broke into. He was running his keys along the screen, trying to break the seal. Then he was attempting to pry the window open with his hands.
My husband entered the neighbours yard and calmly asked what this person was doing. He said he lived here. Then after a few more words, he wandered out of the yard. This time he used the gate. The gentleman went into the next yard over, the one with the house he attempted to break into, and into the back yard. He opened the door of his truck, one I have seen in that yard many times before. Then the intoxicated man wandered through the back yard for a few minutes more and left.
I called the police, because I did not believe this person lived in the house he was trying to break in to. And the way I see it, one enters a house through the door, using a key, not through a tiny window, six feet in the air. And one generally does not bust through the neighbours hedge and trespass in their yard to break the window of a house they are welcome in.
When I explained this all to the police, the non-emergency phone employee was a little confused why I would want an incident number. She said there was no crime. I was told he might live there.
Then I said this was the same man who left a few nights ago, after a large screaming match, and I was not sure if he was welcome at the location. I said he did not seem to have keys to enter the place and was trying to break in through a window. And I said, at the time, he was intoxicated and still in the back yard of the residence. Oh, ok, that could be looked into then, if he is still there and intoxicated.
But he left. So, I guess there was no crime committed.
I called the landlord to explain what had happened, and what could she do about it. She was willing to have someone come down as well to deal with an intoxicated person in the yard. But as for the behaviour of this person, not much could be done. I told her I was getting pretty tired of incidences at her rooming house, and again told she was trying her best. But I myself think she is not doing her best in screening these people before allowing them to move in.
Damaging property while trespassing into neighbours yards to break into windows isn't a concern to Police or Landlords.
Silly me, for thinking a crime was being committed. I forgot laws are different in this part of the City. I forgot people can break into friends houses. And I forgot the rest of us have to just put up with this crap.