‘In light of recent events, we believe it is imperative to take immediate action,’ says the Dashmesh Culture Centre
Hundreds of people have signed a new petition calling on local politicians and community leaders to take action to address safety concerns coming from members of Calgary’s Sikh community.
The online petition was created by leaders at the Dashmesh Culture Centre — a Sikh community centre in northeast Calgary — in response to members expressing concerns about “overall safety” within the community, according to a spokesperson for the centre.
The centre deals with an immigrant population that “may not know who to reach out to” on matters involving criminal activity, Sidhu said. The centre aims to resolve this apparent gap by compiling information from concerned community members to be passed on to proper authorities, he said.
“This is an opportunity for people to voice their concerns,” said Raj Sidhu, director of operations at the centre. “Then we can share (those concerns) with stakeholders like government officials (and) police.”
According to a statement shared on the DCC’s Facebook page, people signing the petition are expressing “deep concern for the safety and well-being” of their communities.
“In light of recent events, we believe it is imperative to take immediate action to address the rising issues that threaten our peace and security,” the statement reads.
The statement goes on to call on local government officials, law enforcement agencies and community leaders to take actions to improve safety, such as providing enhanced policing and community engagement.
The petition was shared on social media days after an incident involving two men wielding firearms in the centre’s parking lot.
Video of the incident shows a man holding what appears to be a firearm, at times pointing the apparent firearm toward people in a parking lot outside the Dashmesh Culture Centre. The video later shows the same man and another person lying face down on the pavement, apparently surrendering to Calgary police.
On Tuesday, Calgary police confirmed that two men are facing charges in relation to the Sept. 24 incident after officers responded to reports of a man wielding a firearm in the area of 135 Gurdwara Sahib Boulevard N.E. around 8 p.m. on Sept. 24.
Police said officers attending the scene located two men carrying firearms.
Both suspects face multiple firearms-related charges, including unauthorized possession of a firearm, along with uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm, according to police.
Sidhu said Tuesday the Dashmesh Culture Centre’s executive committee was waiting for a Calgary police investigation into the incident to tell them what happened that evening.
The DCC spokesperson said he did not believe the accused were inside the centre prior to the incident, but declined to give further details, citing the ongoing police probe.