Ponoka releases findings of recent CPTED report

PONOKA -- The Town of Ponoka has published the findings of a recent report examining how environmental factors contribute to crime and disorder in the downtown area. 

The report, known as a 'Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design' report, found that factors such as poor lighting, neglected building maintenance, broken windows, graffiti, and overgrown vegetation can promote disorder in a given area. For this particular assessment, the CPTED report examined a portion of the main downtown area from 49 Avenue to 51 Avenue, between 50 Street and 51 Street.

The assessment raises various concerns around the Royal Hotel and its surrounding vicinity. It notes that the building itself appears to be in disrepair, while the property behind it risks attracting unwanted attention and illegitimate usage of this area due to its overall appearance. Sandra Lund, Chief Administrative Officer with the Town of Ponoka, says the report also provided recommendations for improved lighting in several areas of downtown Ponoka to discourage criminal behaviour. 

"LED lighting is recommended in dimly lit areas to provide brighter lighting and minimize shadows around buildings and alleyways in the downtown," said Lund. "Ensuring the use of lighting and surveillance cameras really supports each other, so the cameras can capture a well-lit image instead of shadows." 

In terms of natural surveillance, the CPTED report recommends trimming of the trees/shrubs that line the boulevards around the downtown area to improve sightlines. It also covers the need to reduce the amount of graffiti in the downtown area due to its risk of attracting unwanted attention. It's believed that ignoring graffiti can cause individuals to escalate to greater offences such as mischief and other crimes. Lund notes that the need for maintenance upkeep was a prominent feature of the report. 

"This means keeping your windows, fences, and buildings in good repair," said Lund. "Cleaning up rubble and junk that may have collected around some properties, and because broken windows, damaged buildings, fences, and piles of junk may attract unwanted activity."

The report also recommends changing the benches in downtown Ponoka to have armrests or dividers. The goal of this would be to make it as uncomfortable as possible for illegitimate users to loiter and potentially sleep on the benches. For the issue of public intoxication, the report calls on the township to put more accountability on the venues themselves by seeking approved operational plans.