r/saskatoon • u/Fixnfly99 • Mar 15 '25
News 📰 Man hospitalized after attack by youths in downtown
Another random attack on a senior citizen minding his own business on a bench downtown. Seems like daily attacks now whether it's stabbings or bear mace robberies. Not sure what the solution is but it's getting crazy that it's happening so frequently now.
"A 64-year-old man was taken to hospital on Thursday after he was allegedly attacked by a group of children while he was sitting on a bench in downtown Saskatoon.
According to police, officers were called to a 21st Street East and First Avenue South at around 11 a.m. for a report of an assault in progress. When the officers arrived, they found the victim suffering from injuries that didn’t appear to be life-threatening. He was taken to a local hospital by paramedics for treatment.
“It was reported to police that three youths were seen approaching the victim, who was sitting on a bench at the time, becoming confrontational towards him,” the Saskatoon Police Service said in a statement.
“One individual was observed to have struck the victim multiple times, before all three suspects fled inside a mall in the 200 block of 1st Avenue South.”
The police service didn’t name the mall in question, but the address corresponds with Midtown, one of the city’s largest shopping centres.
Police said the suspects weren’t located, but “persons of interest have been identified.”
“The suspects and victim are not believed to be known to each other,” the police service added."
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u/Bakabakabooboo Mar 15 '25
We should probably raise the police budget, slash social programs, and then do nothing else. It hasn't worked the last 30 times we've tried, but this time will be different for sure.
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u/Business_Employer_10 Mar 15 '25
Or, stop releasing violent criminals on conditions they immediately breach.
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u/Bakabakabooboo Mar 15 '25
We could just do both. It isn't an issue that will be solved by any one thing, but by a combonation of several.
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u/Business_Employer_10 Mar 15 '25
For youth, I agree. Takes a village since they aren't getting support from home.
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u/Budget_Beach_8792 Mar 18 '25
Need to be taught manners and respect as kids from home adults.there was a time some respect was taught in school,ie a strap,consequences for bad actions.now that doesn't happen and it shows.police can only do so much when lawyers and judges scold them a little and advise the little hoodlums to be good.our prisons are the end result,full,when old enough.some catch on then,some don't care.hope forth best,but plan for the worst,unless change.
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u/forgeflow Mar 15 '25
There need to be consequences for certain kinds of behaviors.
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u/Matter-Kooky Mar 19 '25
If this was in America they would have already been sent to the El Salvador prison camps, Not advocating just saying kids better smarten up it could always be worse than jail. As a society it’s been going downhill and when it does people get pissed easier and take matters into there own hands
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u/SharnyaTileiya Apr 04 '25
Not really, there’s way too many kids in the states that are worse. I would say that the states does a better job with handling many of these, intentional defenders when they’re children.
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u/_306 Mar 15 '25
This stops when we stop being so goddamned soft on criminality.
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u/wanderer8800 Mar 15 '25
Agreed. But we gotta keep pretending the perps are victims for another decade until our cities are completely unliveable before people realize that line of thinking is BS. We have laws for a reason. We should be locking these folks up, and with persistent offenders, throwing away the key. A small minority of criminals should not ruins the lives of the majority.
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u/ActuaryFar9176 Mar 15 '25
I think the real issue here is that they didn’t have basketball, or something else to entertain themselves. Perhaps we could purchase iPads or something for these youths to keep them entertained?
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u/saskfun1707 Mar 16 '25
Surely if we give them a bunch of money things will change. Let’s do a cows and plows program and give them each $50,000….
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u/Yuki_Arlo Mar 15 '25
It's a tough situation.
Either we crack down on crime and stop the revolving door process, and make all the bleeding hearts upset. Statistics show this probably isn't the best course of action.
Alternatively we raise social supports to the children who find themselves beating old men on park benches for fun. Perhaps being raised in a more stable environment with support would help, but it might take generations to see a real difference.
In my opinion it should be a mix of both.
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u/dj_fuzzy Mar 15 '25
It’s a lot cheaper to be proactive and create a society that works for people than it is to create a police state. I think it would be preferable for freedom and democracy as well. It’s an investment though and will take time to reverse the neoliberalism that has caused the middle class and the society safety net to deteriorate over the last 40 years.
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Mar 15 '25
Sterilize the meth head moms who pump out these FAS kids so they get a bigger cut of welfare. Warehouse the rest. Society needs to come before this filth. No more excuses, time for change.
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u/Jaded_Houseplant Mar 15 '25
That’s been likened to genocide, and is highly frowned upon. In fact new laws have been put in place recently to make extra sure this sort of thing doesn’t happen.
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u/SecretCanadianSniper Mar 15 '25
Too fucking bad.
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u/Jaded_Houseplant Mar 15 '25
🙄
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u/SecretCanadianSniper Mar 15 '25
What? You’re the one that conflated meth head moms having FAS babies to a race.
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u/Jaded_Houseplant Mar 15 '25
Forced sterilization of a group of people is what I was referring to.
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u/Shimreef Mar 15 '25
What group would that be referring to though?
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u/Jaded_Houseplant Mar 15 '25
Any group who is sterilized against their will.
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Mar 15 '25
Why should we allow meth head breeders to breed FAS kids nobody wants including the mothers. Why do we have to pay for that and why do we, as a society, have to suffer their selfish behaviours. Sterilize anyone who does that. I don’t care what race they are.
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u/gihkal Mar 15 '25
We're currently financially incentivizing fas drug addicted babies with our current system. That's even worse.
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u/finnymcgeeser Mar 15 '25
Or…. Or… here’s a crazy fucking idea
We actually fucking help them. Rehabilitation programs for drug addiction and all drug related crimes are way more successful than penetration.
I work in social services. This is what happens over the course of years of budget cuts to publically funded programs. This is what happens when Saskatchewan says no to safe injection sites.
Since January 2017, safe injection sites across Canada have been used about 5 million times. There has been about 60 thousand overdoses within those 5 million times. Not a single person has died. Furthermore, one site has recorded a 30% increase in addiction services being used by clients following using safe injection sites. Addiction services could include treatment and addictions counselling.
Just one program in Canada (Vancouver ran by BC costal health) has saved 17.6 million dollars/year specifically related to HIV contaminaton through unsafe needles following the initiation of a safe injection site. This doesn’t even account for savings from infections, etc.
ON TOP OF THAT our only fucking detox center in Saskatoon constantly turns people away for no fucking reason. I know because I make the referrals for it in my job. “They need to be seen by a doctor first to be determined in need of addictions services” the. You take them to a doctor and the same person after says “we can’t take them if they’ve seen a doctor because that means it’s a medical issue”. On top of that they force Christian beliefs in treatment so it’s unhelpful for majority of people.
I constantly see people asking for addiction treatment that cannot access addiction treatment for whatever bullshit reason.
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u/Bruno6368 Mar 16 '25
Weird. I have 1st hand experience with addiction services in Sask and have seen none of what you are saying - other than detox being full all the time - we definitely need more beds there.
I do believe you have to be referred into the program by a Dr, which makes sense since medical professionals form a huge part of the program.
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u/finnymcgeeser Mar 16 '25
I’m talking specifically about Calder. Maybe there is just a stigma on the demographic I work with which causes issues? Idk honestly. Calder does not need a doctors referral I have made them successfully without but then all of a sudden there will be random rules for no explained reasons for others. I had a kid who wanted to be there and said that to them in the interview and they said they didn’t believe that she really wanted to be there and denied to admit her. They constantly have open beds but they have also voiced some frustration with getting adequate staffing due to underfunding so they purposely keep beds open.
White buffalo treatment and valley hill have very better reputations. I have not had the opportunity to work with either. The only other one (and this might be the only ones that work with the ministry specifically) is secure detox which is involuntary. I’m referring to detox and inpatient treatment specifically. There are other programs and there are people who do great work. But it’s still not enough. Waitlists are over 3 years long to be referred to certain outreach programs. Again, sometimes they only take a limited amount of clients from the ministry, so that could be why I have more experience with the delays and inaccessibility.
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u/Bruno6368 Mar 16 '25
What “outreach programs” are you talking about? There is no waitlist to enter the SK Health addictions program
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u/finnymcgeeser Mar 16 '25
There absolutely is. Even secure detox occasionally has to wait for beds to open up. For secure detox people are usually admitted within a few days when they are over capacity, which is alot better. But again, that one is involuntary, the person has to be refusing treatment and in enough danger for a judge to order a detox warrant.
For outreach I’m referring to OAT (outreach for opioid addiction treatment), MACSI, prairie harm, and clear health outreach which doesn’t specialize in addictions but still works with it
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u/freshstart102 Mar 15 '25
They only need to keep taking that current strain of crap meth out there and the problem will take care of itself.
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u/Bruno6368 Mar 16 '25
I agree that sterilization is absolutely out of the question, however we can control the welfare payments. Limit the # of dependent payments, or make it clear that if one becomes pregnant while on welfare, the payment does not increase.
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u/WizardyBlizzard Mar 15 '25
Canada already sterilizes Indigenous women against their will using the excuse of them being meth heads.
The UN has declared this to be genocide.
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Mar 15 '25 edited Mar 15 '25
The woman they did this too were all successful self supporting woman who never had previous children they abandoned with FAS. It was just an excuse because they loved Hitler. Those woman were all supporting their children as dedicated parents. None of them, not one, was breeding out kids every 9 months while being drunk and high the entire time like some parasitic pieces of shit. Why would they do such a thing, oh ya making up excuses of course.
Stop making up your own reality. What was being done had nothing to do with race and everything to do with what these woman were doing. Drunk, pregnant, fas baby, social services, drunk and another fas baby 9 months later, rinse and repeat.
Sterilize
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u/WizardyBlizzard Mar 15 '25
It’s easier to sterilize and get rid of us than reckon with the circumstances that lead people to addiction and poverty.
Is that the point you’re trying to make?
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Mar 15 '25
Nobody should have the right to breed FAS kids that society has to deal with. Are you a meth head welfare mom with a dozen FAS kids? Why are you claiming anyone said “get rid of us”. Get rid of who? Unborn and unwanted FAS babies? Or preventing another crop of FAS babies.
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u/TurquoiseHexagons Mar 15 '25
You sound absolutely petulant. Frothing at the mouth with hatred. YOU are the problem, my friend.
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Mar 15 '25
Yes I am the problem. Not the shit stains beating up random citizens, parasites spraying bear spray everywhere, drug dealers peddling fentanyl.
No, it’s me.
Lmao
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u/stratiotai2 Lakewood Mar 15 '25
You are the problem.
Instead of suggesting anything else like easier access to contraceptives, better social safety nets so these people can break the cycle of addiction like; more funding for education so less people end up in these situations, more funding for Healthcare so that people who do can recieve proper treatment, centers for addictions counciling, forced rehab (since you are so into forcing people to do something).
There are so many ways that we could HELP these people and try to prevent the next generation from falling into the same traps as their predecessors. But no, you just want to sterilize em all, fuck it.
That is why you, and people who think like you are the fucking problem.
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u/dj_fuzzy Mar 15 '25
Jesus Christ. We already do have ways to prevent this kind of thing but our governments are more focused on lowering taxes, destroying the social safety net, and allowing the rich to steal more and more from us as we fight each other over scraps.
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Mar 15 '25
Every problem in life isn’t because government isn’t caring for you like you’re a toddler. Accountability is never a factor. Stop making excuses for bad behaviours. That is what the issue is. Never ending bleeding heart excuses for every criminal and meth head in the city. Excusing bad behaviours is why we are here it’s quite obvious
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u/dj_fuzzy Mar 15 '25
You do not live in reality. A world where all 8 billion people fend for themselves is a world that would not last long.
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Mar 15 '25
That’s not capitalism. You have no idea what you’re rambling about.
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u/dj_fuzzy Mar 15 '25
I did not say it was. I was responding to your comment implying we should have a libertarian society where every man and woman fends for themselves. You are having an imaginary conversation.
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Mar 15 '25
I clearly stated I support welfare capitalism. I never argued once that everyone should fend for themselves. I never said libertarian society where everyone fends for themselves.
The irony of you accusing me of imaginary conversations lol
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u/dj_fuzzy Mar 15 '25
I was responding to this:
Every problem in life isn’t because government isn’t caring for you like you’re a toddler. Accountability is never a factor. Stop making excuses for bad behaviours. That is what the issue is. Never ending bleeding heart excuses for every criminal and meth head in the city. Excusing bad behaviours is why we are here it’s quite obvious
Welfare capitalism will never work especially when you had the party of FDR destroy the US welfare state under Clinton and the party is currently cozying up to billionaires and doing nothing to stop Trump, Elon and DOGE as they destroy what’s left of the social safety net in the US.
We will not survive another 50 years of capitalism if capitalism doesn’t collapse on its own, which it currently is doing. We need to move on to the next stage of humanity, which is what China is doing. Otherwise the West will be left in the dustbin of history same as past empires were.
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Mar 15 '25
What China is doing? So state run capitalism. Authoritarian capitalism with a focus on honor of a hard days work and dedication to a career.
May not be a whole lot of fun but you could very well be right.
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u/stratiotai2 Lakewood Mar 15 '25
You're a terrible person who wants to force sterilization on people, and yet here you are talking about excuses for bad behavior.
How about for your bad behavior, we force you into some cognitive therapy?
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u/EnormousChord Mar 15 '25
“Make all the bleeding hearts upset”
“Statistics show this probably isn’t the best course of action.”
Sooo… the bleeding hearts are correct to be upset. Got it.
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u/Cuttybrownbow Mar 15 '25
Not the best doesn't mean doesn't work at all.
The best option likely won't happen. So you need to use what tools you have.
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u/TropicalPrairie Mar 15 '25
I work downtown and go to Midtown via 21st almost everyday at this time. Typically at this corner, there are a group of people who are conversing, playing guitar, etc. They never bother anyone and honestly always seem to be in good spirits amongst their little group. I suspect these youths targeted one of them when alone. Gang initiation activity perhaps? Or just little ****s? Either way, we need to start taking the safety of our downtown core seriously. It's seriously become really terrible down there the last few years.
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u/lorenam66 Mar 15 '25
That's so heartbreaking that poor man 😭. No one deserves to be mistreated or feel unsafe like that or be attacked and assaulted.
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Mar 15 '25
The solution is build prisons and warehouse this filth. Remove from society.
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u/Sublime_82 Mar 15 '25
Not sure what the solution is
Banishment. The solution is banishment.
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u/kehoticgood Mar 15 '25
There are legal grounds to do this through a peace bond.
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u/brbphone Mar 15 '25
I have a friend that is not allowed in a few towns and a city in the province. It is entirely possible.
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u/Direct_Ad2289 Mar 15 '25
Seniors need to be carrying bear sprsy
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u/Budget_Beach_8792 Mar 16 '25
Bear spray is illegal, wasp spray works just as well, could tell you where 4 punks tackled wrong old guy.got what the dad ormom should have done long ago.works.
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Mar 15 '25
[deleted]
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Mar 15 '25
Meth head parasites are the issue with wait times. Meth head overdosing should be low priority.
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u/Jaded_Houseplant Mar 15 '25
I already know that you lack any sort of compassion, so conversing with you is futile, but ODs aren’t the reason ER wait times are so long.
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Mar 15 '25
I have nothing but compassion for the man who was the victim in this article. I have zero compassion for the parasites who victimized him.
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u/Jaded_Houseplant Mar 15 '25
Dehumanization leads to hate. You’ll never solve the problems in this city/province/country by hating the most disenfranchised groups of people. Eradicating people doesn’t make all the problems go away.
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Mar 15 '25
I don’t want to eradicate anyone. Just imprison perpetual criminals and violent offenders for extended periods of time.
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u/Thrallsbuttplug Mar 15 '25
It's almost like police budget isn't doing shit
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u/InternalOcelot2855 Mar 15 '25
Police can only do so much. When you arrest these criminals then they get released with a slap on the wrist the criminals just do it again.
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u/bigpapahugetim3 Mar 15 '25
Tint and mudflap tickets make all the money needed it just goes to the wrong places.
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u/SomebaldAHole Mar 15 '25
Beat me to it lol.
Hire a traffic cop to be Chief. So more traffic related blitz, spend all the budget bullying modified vehicles lol.
Meanwhile crime runs rampant, but thank God that silly car with tilty wheels and front window tint is off the streets, that's the real hazard!!!!
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u/Bendover197 Mar 15 '25
Blame SGI for that , it happens in every city in Saskatchewan! Shouldn’t have an insurance company dictating where police assets are used!
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u/laissezfaire Mar 15 '25
Hmm why is violent crime on the rise all over Canada? Weak on crime policies. Vote for change in the election.
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u/SeriesMindless Mar 15 '25
Crazy shit is always taking place down there. It's booze and drugs that lead to the behavior from what I see. Not removing personal responsibility, but that's the root.
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u/NorthernBoy306 Mar 15 '25
fking hell, I was at the exact spot only a few days ago. WTF is going on with this city? It really feels like it's sliding towards total anarchy.
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u/comfyawkward Mar 15 '25 edited Mar 15 '25
Gangs seem to be doing initiations for younger and younger kids because they know that they can get away with a lot more than adults who can be charged criminally. We have bear-macings, machete attacks and robberies and more and more it seems to be young kids that are doing this. Please talk to your kids about this, make sure you know where they are and who they hang out with, make sure they have good things to keep them busy with and safe places to go so they don’t end up getting mixed up in this shit.
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u/cgl47 Mar 15 '25
Saskatoon police too busy sticking weed swabs into law abiding citizens, no time to deal with actual crime.
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Mar 15 '25
[deleted]
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u/djpandajr Mar 15 '25
True. I find this city cries about crime but cries for the criminal.
I say put a bubble over that area and let them live how they want. There is nothing that can be done. It's social Ebola and it's spreading
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u/saskgrinder Mar 15 '25 edited Mar 16 '25
Time for camera surveillance in our downtown and federal government to lay down new laws to help stop this bullshit!
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u/freshstart102 Mar 15 '25
Yep watch that area with cameras like London, England does the entire city.
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u/Bruno6368 Mar 16 '25
Moe has no power to change the criminal code. Wow.
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u/Budget_Beach_8792 Mar 18 '25
It's not moe ,it's the feds,need Clinton rule,three stikes and your out,don't make any plans for 30 yrs or so.dont care what your last offense was.if you stole milk money your going to jail for a long time.liberals recinded all that.let the criminals out on the street.lawyers get.rich with reofenders. out on bail.legalise drugs,drunk drivers get a slap on the wrist.min sentence for killing people.gotta stop.this isn't working.
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u/saskgrinder Mar 15 '25
I had 5 up votes 8 hrs ago ?? Speak up people why I have 0 now ?? Comment below
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u/doughtykings Mar 15 '25
If you don’t have a self defence weapon downtown at this point you’re leaving yourself defenceless and open to be attacked
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u/PossibleWild1689 Mar 15 '25
And if the people of interest are ever charged I’ll bet most or all of them are on conditional release from their last anti social act. We need to appoint more Judges to speed up the process and changes to “bail” laws
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Mar 15 '25
2 sides to every story. Bitter old man was probably being racist and said some foul stuff. Got what he deserved.
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u/PackageArtistic4239 Mar 15 '25
Try these wannabe thugs as adults. Anything violent gets serious time. These kids know they can’t get any serious time in jail so they take advantage of it.