Moncton-based anti-crime coalition makes formal demands

An anti-crime Moncton coalition met with police and politicians.

An anti-crime coalition has made four formal demands in hopes of reducing criminal activity in the Greater Moncton area.

In a news release, the Moncton-based Enough is Enough Coalition announced they held a stakeholder meeting on Thursday with organizations responsible for public safety in the tri-community area including representatives from the provincial and federal governments, the Codiac Regional RCMP, the Codiac Regional Policing Authority (CRPA) and the cities of Moncton and Dieppe and the Town of Riverview.

“For months, we have met with every level of government - one office at a time. Today, we put everyone in the same room,” said coalition spokesperson Patrick Gillespie in the news release. “Now the question is simple: will they act together, or will they continue to act alone while Greater Moncton absorbs the cost?

Enough is Enough presented four formal demands and called on all the parties present at the two-hour session to move to a coordinated, measurable action.

The anti-crime coalition’s four demands are:

1. Jointly acknowledge the crisis: Enough is Enough is calling on every organization present at Thursday meeting to go on record stating the current state of public safety in the Greater Moncton area is unacceptable and requires action both urgent and coordinated.
2. Transparent public reporting on the downtown Moncton pilot: The City of Moncton has launched a pilot initiative in the downtown core, but the coalition said business owners and property managers have not noticed a significant difference.
3. A formal, multi-stakeholder crime reduction strategy with measurable targets: The coalition wants every organization involved to commit to developing a joint strategy on reducing crime in the Moncton area with defined targets, clear timelines and regular transparent reporting.
4. A clear path forward on police resourcing: According to the news release, Codiac Regional RCMP Superintendent Benoit Jolette has publicly stated 46 officers are needed to adequately police Greater Moncton. The CRPA recommended 15 for the 2026 budget. All three municipal councils voted against the request, stated the release. The coalition is demanding to know what the plan is to adequately resource public safety.

Gillespie says the reception to the demands was very welcoming and very cordial.

“We’re not policemen. We’re not specialists in public safety and crime reduction. So those demands were sort of formulated by just trying to see what are objectives at the end of the day were,” said Gillespie.

Gillespie added there weren’t any negative voices heard.

“You got a sense that folks were not just sort of paying lip-service, there was a genuine concern amongst all the folks sitting around the table,” said Gillespie.

On Tuesday, the City of Moncton announced the Downtown Resilience Program, which will provide $250,000 annually to local businesses to recover from crime, as well as fund safety and security improvements.

“It was a nice gesture,” said Gillespie. “I would have rather saw an extra police officer hired than that.”

In a statement to CTV News Atlantic, Justice Minister Rob McKee said he appreciated the invitation and was happy to attend.

“We recognize the concerns raised by the Enough is Enough Coalition. They are valid, and residents and businesses in Greater Moncton deserve to feel safe,” said McKee.

McKee said public safety is a complex issue that requires coordination among policing and support services.

“No single organization can address this alone. Both the province and municipalities are taking action, but the greatest impact will come from working together, including with residents, businesses, and, where possible, the federal government,” said McKee.

Moncton Deputy Mayor Paulette Thériault made a presentation during Thursday’s meeting, but was not made available to CTV News Atlantic on Friday for an interview.

The coalition will be scheduling another meeting in early June with the new municipal councils from Moncton, Riverview and Dieppe, and will be seeking a decision on their four demands by then.

Gillespie said Enough is Enough is not here to manage crime.

“That is the job of government and law enforcement. We are here to make sure those systems work - and that someone is held accountable when they don’t,” said Gillespie.

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