A petition created to advocate for the closing of the old Frankfurt Motel, now called the 1618 Inn, located in the Hart is garnering the attention of many Prince George residents.
1,902 people have signed the Change.org petition as of today (Tuesday), which has a goal of getting 2,500 signatures.
Lacey, who didn’t want her last name to be published, is a long-time Hart resident that created the petition after seeing increasing rates of crime around the community since there was a change in management.
She claims she often sees people at the Inn walking around intoxicated and even doing drugs out in the open in the middle of the day.
Lacey started the petition the morning after someone attempted to break into her backyard, and she soon found out many homes and in the neighborhood had been ransacked that night.
“I’ve lived on this street for about 30 years, I grew up here and the Frankfurt has been here for as long as I can remember, and for years and years there have been no issues, it was clean and just a normal motel,” she explained.
She says for the last couple of years, there has been increasing theft, drug use, and other criminal activity surrounding the motel, and she just wants the hotel to be properly maintained again.
The petition states the motel mainly houses individuals who chose to commit crimes on a regular basis, mainly theft.
“When items go missing, often the first word of advice is to check the Frankfurt. Not only this, we see open drug use, overdosing, drunkenness, at all times of the day. We feel uneasy now,” reads the petition.
Police have been responded to 65 calls to the motel since January, a number PG RCMP Constable Jennifer Cooper isn’t unheard of.
“I know the police can only do so much themselves and with Covid, they’re really busy but I feel like it’s a free-for-all at this place, anyone who wants to be there can be there and can do anything they want there, that’s the problem,” explained Lacey.
She says that she isn’t necessarily wanting the whole building to be shut down, she just wants something to change in the way the motel is operated.
Mypgnow.com reached out to the owners of the 1618 Inn, they declined to comment.
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