The mother of two children who attend a Johnson Street childcare centre where a man broke in Tuesday morning says police were already there when she and her husband pulled up with their children about 7:50 a.m.
The fact that the suspect in the break-in has now been charged in the random stabbing of a cyclist a short time later “heightens our anxiety,” because it indicates he was armed, said the woman, who asked not to be identified.
“It’s definitely quite shocking,” she said. “I know there’s a lot of issues downtown, and I don’t know the solution to those problems.”
While she is concerned about what happened, she remains confident in the facility’s safety, the woman said.
Victoria police said the man who entered the centre stole a tablet and pulled a fire alarm before leaving, but is not believed to have been near any children.
Daniel Phelps has been charged with six offences in connection with both the childcare-centre break-in and the stabbing, which occurred about 8 a.m. outside Victoria police headquarters. The charges include assault causing bodily harm, mischief, theft and possession of a weapon.
The stabbing victim is recovering from non-life-threatening injuries, and Phelps remains in custody pending another court appearance.
“These types of random criminal acts have a real impact on our collective sense of community safety, but we will not let the violent acts of one person define our community,” said Const. Terri Healy.
She said that the department continues to conduct “proactive patrols” throughout downtown.
Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto expressed concern for the stabbing victim, saying “any time a random assault of any kind takes place it is highly disturbing.” She declined to comment further, citing the active investigation.
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce chief executive Bruce Williams said the Tuesday incidents are not typical of downtown. “There are lots of isolated incidents,” he said. “But this idea that there’s widespread, ongoing incidents like this everywhere, all over downtown, is not the case.”
Our Place spokesperson Grant McKenzie said what happened Tuesday “shows a breakdown in the ability to access mental-health supports.”
“There’s a lot of people really struggling with mental-health issues on the streets,” he said. “They really need some place where they can get the help that they need.”
Victoria Coun. Stephen Hammond responded to the incidents with a renewed call for more protection in locations near supportive-housing facilities.
The childcare centre is in the 700-block of Johnson, just down the street from a supportive-housing facility at 844 Johnson St.
The latter facility was created to provide housing for homeless campers that had created a tent city on the grounds of the Victoria courthouse in late 2015. Run by PHS Community Services Society, it has four mental health workers who are supposed to be accessible 24/7, home-support workers and a full-time primary care clinic.
Hammond, who was one of the most outspoken critics of the tent city, said he made the request for protection in November in an email to Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon and followed up in December, but so far has received only an automated response saying his communications were received.
“As an individual city councillor, I’m wondering what it takes for Victoria residents to get the protection they need when the province creates certain supportive housing and unintended consequences lead to unsafe neighbourhoods,” Hammond said Wednesday.
He called what happened on Tuesday “unusual and unsettling,” and urged those with concerns to contact the ministry and their MLAs.
Hammond said he wants the ministry to “just admit that there’s something going on here.”
As a former board member for Our Place, he said he is well-aware of the difficulties many people face in life.
But he said some facilities established by the province simply don’t have enough security or programs in place to deal with potential problems.
“It’s just usually the neighbours, whether it’s residents or businesses, when they’re disrupted they have to respond.”
Hammond said the “Tiny Town” temporary housing village next to Royal Athletic Park and a temporary shelter on Russell Street are two examples of sites that caused problems for neighbours because proper preventive measures weren’t in place.
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: [email protected]
