Free Paper on Maskwacis Crime Crisis: Causes, Interventions, and the Road Ahead

Maskwacis, rechristened from Hobbema in 2014, is a standalone society in central Alberta, Canada, at the node of Highway 611 and Highway 2A, about 70 kilometers south of the Metropolitan Edmonton (Morin, 2018). The community attracts media attention due to the imminent crime and thuggery in the area. Gang life is the only way of survival in this indigenous community; thus, it has created security threats in the neighboring communities. An analysis of the causes of the current situation in Maskwacis, the underlying solutions for crime suppression, and the possible views of the remedy to the problem will form this entire paper’s basis.

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The existing crime cases in the community have increased due to many factors. One of the main problems in Maskwacis is the effect of peer pressure (“Gangs, violence, the alcohol part of growing up in Hobbema, Alta., say, killers,” 2013). Young men form groups that arrange for crimes out of evil influence. A young boy got arrested in the community following a gunshot that took an innocent life. It clearly shows that this community’s crime level rises due to the influence subjected to young, innocent youths. After involvement in illegal activities, some of the culprits take their own lives through suicide. Trusted sources outline that the crimes associated with suicide occur due to guilt of crime performances (Morin, 2018). Therefore, the young men in Maskwacis are the ring leaders in robbery and crime.

Additionally, poverty is a reason for such acts in Maskwacis. Joblessness among young people has led to poverty, which has crippled the area’s economic growth (Plato, n.d.). According to an online magazine, many youths around the area do not have basic requirements. Most of the youths are also idle, thus creating a chance in their mind to perform such heinous acts. Pressure from parents is also a debatable issue among the youths in Maskwacis. Parents always pressure their children for proper delivery (the need to have money) (Plato, n.d.). Some parents also neglect their duties forcing the young men to do everything by themselves.

Possible interventions are going on to help reduce crime rates in Maskwacis. The HUBs have stood at the forefront to mobilize all agencies to gather resources (Richards, 2018). They also help individual agencies to solve issues that can be handled separately. Service workers like Maskwacis Youth Initiative, Housing, Education, and Family Services work hand in hand with RCMP to offer solutions and advisory measures to individuals at risk of harming the community or themselves. In a bid to save lives, Morgan Kyle, a community resource officer at the Maskwacis RCMP, said that the interaction aims to reduce victimization, crime, and violence. The RCMP gives out most of the transfers filled in HUB tables (Richards, 2018). Their main job is to track files in the PROS. They identify any case related to crime and analyze it before presenting it to the HUB tables.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the crime rates in Maskwacis are alarming and need to be handled with seriousness. Approximately 70 people die in 6 months in the community. Therefore, another approach is essential for solving this issue once and for all. Employment opportunities need to rise to accommodate all the young unemployed youth. Frequent mass awareness is also central in the community's want to return to the old normalcy. Therefore, the law and the police are not the only fundamental ways of handling crimes in a crime-dominated place.

References

Gangs, violence, alcohol part of growing up in Hobbema, Alta., say killers. (2013, May 13). Retrieved July 20, 2020, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/gangs-violence- alcohol-part-of-growing-up-in-hobbema-alta-say-killers-1.1396394

Morin, B. (2018, January 14). ‘We are dying’: Maskwacis community members overwhelmed by suicides | CBC News. Retrieved July 27, 2020, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/we- are-dying-maskwacis-community-members-overwhelmed-by-suicides-1.4486933

Plato (n.d). The allegory of the cave (T. Sheehan, Trans.). Retrieved from https://web.stanford.edu/class/ihum40/cave.pdf

Richards, T. (2018, June 28). Goodbye, Hobbema. Retrieved July 29, 2020, from https://albertaviews.ca/goodbye-hobbema/