Council Update with Coquitlam Councillor Craig Hodge

4th term Coquitlam Councillor Craig Hodge expressed three issues of concern when he ran in the last election;

1) Public safety 2) Housing 3) Improving Parks and Recreation facilities.

Before his time on council councillor Hodge was an award winning photographer having spent a number of year's working for the Tri-City News covering local stories and events here in the Tri-Cities. While working for the Tri-City News councillor Hodge gained valuable insight to the challenges faced by local policing agencies, the fire department, and ambulatory services. As a result councillor Hodge considers providing proper funding support for these organizations to be a top priority.

Last budget the city approved six more RCMP officers to help address growing crime rates in the city. Councillor Hodge feels that Coquitlam is generally a safe city but it's also important to ensure that citizens feel safe as well.

After many years of pushing, councillor Hodge has also been successful in getting the city to help with purchase of a medical unit for the fire department which now allows the fire department to respond much faster with a smaller lightweight truck when it's all that is required. This also helps relieve the pressure on the ambulatory services that have been over taxed even prior to the pandemic.

One concern Mr. Hodge expressed with regards to public safety surrounds the new Red Fish mental health facility located on the former Riverview Lands. While he acknowledges that it's a much needed facility doing great work in our community assisting those struggling with drug addiction, his is concerned about the fact that those seeking treatment are only there on a voluntary basis and can walk away at any time, at which point they are considered to be a "missing person". This has resulted in four or five RCMP officers being tied up dealing with missing persons throughout the year. Councillor Hodge feels that it is not fair for the City of Coquitlam to have such valuable civic resources tied up supporting what is essentially a provincial facility.

Councillor Hodge is also an advocate of better use of video technology in policing, be it police worn body cams, use of CCTV cameras in public locations, or better access to security camera recordings from private businesses.

As for traffic safety, councillor Hodge has also been an advocate for increased pedestrian controlled traffic crossings throughout Coquitlam and increased funding to support increased traffic monitoring.

Parks; building up Burke Mountain and plans to build a facility that, when completed, will be the most expensive public facility built by the City of Coquitlam, refurbished a number of older parks throughout Coquitlam, finished the construction of the new Maillardville Community Centre last year and are about to open a new community center in Town Centre Park. Near future develop Blue Mountain Park.

With regards to housing, councillor Hodge feels that the city needs to ensure that there is more construction of rental property in the future. Councillor Hodge is in support of the provincial government's push for greater housing density, especially around rapid transit corridors, he would, however, like to see greater support from the provincial government to provide the financial support to provide the required infrastructure and provide more funding for the construction of affordable housing.