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Crime a major problem, agree Charlottetown mayoral candidates

Crime is a major concern in Charlottetown the three mayoral candidates in the upcoming provincial election agree, but all have a different plan to deal with the issue.

Charlottetown Police conducted a number of drug busts this year including Operation Clean Sweep in January, in which 40 people were arrested.

Incumbent mayor Clifford Lee says the city needs to continue to support the police's work and provide more addictions treatment services.

"Basically, what we need to do is to continue working with organizations out there in our city that are involved with drug addictions."

Candidate Keith Kennedy agrees. He would like to increase funding for community policing programs by 25 per cent.

"More police officers with running shoes on in the gyms and working with kids in schools and doing more primary prevention."

Candidate Philip Brown says even more should be done.

He wants the province to enact what's called the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act, or SCAN.

Instead of calling police, a resident who sees ongoing suspicious activities — for example, a house where people are coming and going all night — can report it to the SCAN unit, which has the power to issue warnings or even seize the property.

"This piece of legislation that exists in eight other provinces," said Brown. "I will make it a priority that the province should look at this legislation to help us to combat crime and drugs in our neighbourhoods, in our communities."

The province says it is looking at whether to bring the SCAN Act to P.E.I.

Islanders head to the polls Nov. 3.