Advertisement

Suburban crime has some residents worried

Suburban crime has some residents worried

Many view the suburbs as safe havens when compared to the inner city, but with some recent killings in Calgary's outer communities, some are wondering just how safe their cul-de-sacs really are.

Earlier this week, 31-year-old Joel Gary Geddes was gunned down in Evergreen in the city's southwest and pronounced dead at the scene. He had ties to organized crime, according to sources, and police say they don't think the killing was random.

In September, a man who was shot and killed in Arbour Lake had ties to the largest-ever ecstasy bust in Alberta.

Former Calgary Police gang investigator Henry Hollinger says Calgary suburbs are still safe, but he has noticed some changes in recent years.

"The safety issues are the same technically everywhere. But in the past, suburbs were not really prime targets for the type of activity, it was usually centre city, downtown, big commercial areas," he said.

Criminals don't discriminate based on geography or income level, he says, and many may not realize if there's a grow operation just down the street.

One Evergreen resident who heard the gunshots on Wednesday is concerned.

"It was super nerve-racking because I have a baby, and like I moved to a nice area thinking 'okay, well, we live in a suburb, it can't be too dangerous.'"

Investigators are still looking for suspects and any vehicles involved in the Evergreen attack.

Anyone who was in the area at the time is asked to call the homicide unit's tip line at 403-428-8877.