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“The police closed the last remaining police station in Victoria Park, making Calgary one of the only major municipalities in Canada without a central police station,” he said.

“The new station is tucked away outside the area where most Calgarians live and congregate. We’re going to be advocating for and looking at re-establishing a bricks and mortar centre city police station.”

However, David Low, executive director of the Victoria Park Business Improvement Area, said he doubts a downtown police station would have any real impact on the soaring crime rates that have been seen since the safe consumption site opened.

“It certainly wouldn’t rein in the problem. You can’t be hard and heavy standing outside the front door (of the consumption site),” he said.

“It’s a distraction from the real issue. Police have been pretty clear that we can’t police our way out of this.”

Low said the province needs to go back to the drawing board to address the problem, noting the site was opened to provide a safe refuge for those consuming potentially deadly opioids, and instead has attracted a more unpredictable element in those addicted to methamphetamine, a drug that can often spur users into committing crime and violence.

Photo by Gavin Young/Postmedia

In a statement, police Chief Steve Barlow said the presence of a downtown police station wouldn’t act as a deterrent to the criminal trends they’ve seen crop up around the safe consumption site.

“There is nothing to indicate that having a downtown bricks and mortar facility in the core would have any impact on the issues we are witnessing around the SCS,” he said.

“Our current model of deployment is no different now than it was when we were in Vic Park — we have the same number of officers working the same shifts in the same areas.

“We currently have a budget approved by city council for the next four years that does not include the capital for a new building, or the positions to staff an additional front counter facility. However, we are open to working with council, through the commission, to explore options that will improve neighbourhood safety.”

slogan@postmedia.com

On Twitter: @ShawnLogan403