By: Kirpass Kaur
On the evening of January 14, 2025, an unidentified individual vandalized the toy soldier at the Lawrence Amphitheatre. The decorations were an investment from Business Fredericton North Inc.
A police report was made and Business Fredericton North Inc. urges the residents of Fredericton to contact them privately if they have seen or heard anything so that they can relay the information to the police in order to find the perpetrator.
Vandalism of property in Fredericton is concerning. We in Fredericton see businesses and, even individuals posting reports about fires, thievery, and, most concerningly, destruction to their own property — AKA, how they make a living.
On the receiving end, business owners of Fredericton complain about their business being met with reduced clientele because of how unsafe our city has become recently.
In response, 300 business owners met with the police in the Crown Plaza Fredericton Lord Beaverbrook to discuss the impact of crime and the issue of safety with the police and Mayor Rogers.
The result of this meeting was the creation of The Mayor’s Community Safety Task Force (CSSU). Alongside the CSSU the official City of Fredericton website states:
“CSSU provides public education on trail etiquette, monitors for vandalism, and works with local groups to help people experiencing homelessness. The City has allocated $100,000 in its 2025 budget for additional cameras, expanding on the 26 public safety cameras and four community webcams already in place.”
With 2025 having just begun, it appears many business owners are left to wonder,
“where are these precautionary measures that we were promised?”.
The Brunswickan attempted to reach out to a local business owner regarding the success of the implemented CSSU, but not even they were sure as to what is actually being done.
This sentiment of helplessness often leads to discussions about homelessness. Some propose that addressing the root causes of homelessness is the real solution, while others suggest that the city of Fredericton should allocate funds toward rehabilitation programs and intensive care management for the chronically unhoused. Meanwhile, business owners face financial and operational challenges — how should these concerns be balanced?
The CSSU task force seems like a temporary solution to a bigger problem in not only this city, but in this country.
