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Crack Mac’s: Myth or Reality?

Crack Mac’s: Myth or Reality?. John F Manzo March 4, 2008. Background. The 8 St C-Train Station has been the site of infamy: Murder of Preston Matthews Murder of Gage Prevost Murder of Arcelie Logan (indirectly) Location for rampant drug dealing and other social problems.

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Crack Mac’s: Myth or Reality?

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  1. Crack Mac’s: Myth or Reality? John F Manzo March 4, 2008

  2. Background • The 8 St C-Train Station has been the site of infamy: • Murder of Preston Matthews • Murder of Gage Prevost • Murder of Arcelie Logan (indirectly) • Location for rampant drug dealing and other social problems

  3. Public Perceptions concerning 8 St LRT Station and Youth Crime • Methodology • Internet-based search • Terms: Gage Prevost, C-Train, LRT, Crime, Young Offenders • Sites searched included archives from Calgary Sun and Calgary Herald, and whatever internet discussion fora comprised the search terms • The above included calgarypuck.com, skyscraperpage.com, albertafirst.com, and many others

  4. Findings on Public Perception • The reputation of the 8 St LRT station is resoundingly negative • More mentions relating to crime then all other stations combined • No positive and few neutral mentions • “Crack Mac’s” has emerged as a “meme” to describe the setting • “Kids” and the YCJA/YOA are often mentioned in the context of negative formulations of 8 St • The “crime problem” of 8 St is seen as not only dire but also as a youth crime problem.

  5. Reality? • There are at least three issues that need to be addressed: • 1. Is crime really rampant at the 8 St LRT station? • 2. Is LRT crime WORST at that station? • 3. Is the crime at 8 St really YOUTH crime? • Investigation of official crime statistics from the CPS and CT reveals the following:

  6. The Facts • 8 St sees more than 320,000 boardings a month, but is the site of less than one indictable offense per month. • Malborough and Southland stations have seen more “crime” than any other stations in the system. • Even the “high profile” crimes mentioned earlier were not committed by youth, and less than 5% of all offenses known to the police on C-Trains are youth crime offenses. • In general, 8 St has “problems” but these aren’t necessarily crime related and are rarely YOUTH crime related.

  7. Discussion: Why? • 8 St has symbolic impact: • 8 St is highly visible. • 8 St is situated at a “better” area of downtown (the west end). • Murders impel moral panic. • The general public conflates “young persons” and “young offenders,” even though the problems at 8 St are largely not youth-related.

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