People, such as me, who live in downtown Edmonton have nerves of steel. We have to, because this place is a cesspit..Actually, it's worse than that..But my editors won't let me say it in print. But, it's the truth and I meant it..Some will say it's not that bad. I ask those people, what city are you living in?.I moved to Edmonton with dreams of buying a house with a white picket fence and starting a family. That dream is quickly disappearing. Not the house and family part, just the city I choose to live in..I told myself, seven months ago, that to report on something such as the social disorder in Edmonton, I would have to live here. I moved to ground zero in October. Boy was that a mistake..Since then, my daily reporting has been filled with chaos, shootings, addiction, homelessness, murders and yes, piles of you know what to step around..And guess what? My personal life is too, because it's crazy outside..Human feces, from the homeless and drug addict population, litters some parts of the streets in Edmonton..Some pictures I posted to Twitter a few months ago really struck a nerve..I was called a few choice names and told I was disgusting..Well, the truth is the downtown is disgusting..I am supposed to be reporting on legislative things. However, the chaos in the street was being ignored by mainstream media as the city spent money on bike lanes and banning plastic..I knew someone had to put themselves in harm's way to show exactly the state the downtown has become..It has become so bad in Edmonton, there are Facebook groups dedicated to exposing the dangerous disarray and disorder which lurks around almost every corner..The city is in shambles. I'm not gonna sugar coat it..If you don't believe me, take a walk down 95 St. or venture onto one of the Facebook groups for a peek..Some of the sights in the "City of Champions" will leave you speechless..Just yesterday, I witnessed a man defecate, then strip his pants off. He proceeded to beat his pants off the wall at a local gas station to "clean them." Then, he put them back on and went on his way. All while screaming at the top of his lungs..Recently, the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) told residents to avoid confrontation with anyone or "You could end up with a knife in your chest.".The EPS is not lying..Now, Global News reported that an Edmonton criminologist said the police might be "inadvertently creating fear and paranoia" with recent remarks that paint downtown Edmonton as a dangerous place. Well guess what? It is dangerous!.Temitope Oriola, a criminologist from the University of Alberta, told Global News the messaging gave the idea that the "police had lost control over everything.".“It felt like Edmontonians were being told to be afraid,” said Oriola. “The EPS had a duty to inform the public, but it was important that was done with sober language and facts but not from an emotional standpoint.”.Oriola told Global News he felt the press conference was "overly emotional and sentimental" and that it possibly contributed to an “atmosphere of fear.”.Well, residents should be afraid! Downtown is completely unpredictable..I live downtown and the truth is I'm afraid. Fear is my safeguard and honestly, fear gets me through my days reporting on Edmonton crime..Everywhere I go in downtown it seems I witness social disorder and open-air drug use. Every time I go through a drive-thru downtown, I am hounded by drug addicts for "Money for drugs.".Yes, they don't even hide it..Tents, carts full of garbage, stolen bikes, tarps and random garbage litter the woods in Edmonton's downtown. I know this because I walk in the woods here. Needles are also littering the ground in different places..I actually stopped wearing flip-flops out of fear of getting stabbed by one..So the mainstream media and some fella who doesn't live downtown want us to think that Edmonton's downtown is not scary..I watched a man with two knives, waiting for people to get out of their cars to pump gas the other day. All messed up on his drug of choice, he aimlessly danced with the knives in his hand..The sirens in downtown seemingly never end..If unpredictable drug addicts with knives don't scare you, I don't know what will. But then there's the LRT..The EPS is now telling residents to use "extreme caution" while riding the transit system..No kidding!.I have been saying this since October, 2022, with my many posts on social media. The scenes of overdoses, assaults and stabbings are endless on our beloved transit system..I actually told myself I would never venture into the system again after a couple of drug addicts tried to set me on fire. But being stubborn I carried on..And guess what? Winter is only a couple of months away. Do you know what that means? The LRT system will once again become one big giant drug-infested homeless shelter, just in time for Oilers hockey..Recently, Football Alberta warned players, families and coaches not to use city transit..Good choice Football Alberta..It would be my nightmare to have to report on a family losing a child to a drug addict with a knife who refuses to follow the rules of society..I'm often told I'm heartless for reporting with pictures of Edmonton's downtown..Every person I encounter who is slumped, I always wake them up and ask them if they need help. I'm often told to f*ck off by the person I awoke..Being a caring Newfoundlander, my morals just won't simply let me walk on by. .It can be dangerous to awake a drug addict or to interact with one. I know this because I do it on a regular basis. The EPS is telling the truth! You could end up stabbed to death for simply trying to help..Am I being too harsh?.The truth is harsh and so is Edmonton's downtown. Don't let them tell you it's not scary, I live here, it is!.I often don't state my opinion, but today I'm stating it loudly!.Edmonton's downtown is ... well, you know.
