Once notorious Fort McMurray apartments designated 'crime free'
'It's just part of the job,' Jeff Peddle says of death threats, 'people are scared ... so they lash out'
Soon after Jeff Peddle began cleaning up the notorious Syncrude Towers, his life was threatened, his vehicles vandalized, two tenants died and another was murdered.
"I knew it wasn't going to happen overnight," said the operations manager of the Fort McMurray apartment complex officially known as the River Park Glen. "But it just reinforced my goal of making the building crime free and getting amazing tenants in here to live."
"When I first took over the building, there would be six to eight security incidents a night," said Peddle.
Back then, staff who got off shift insisted on being walked to their vehicles by security.
"Now we may have one (incident) a week, for music."
The RCMP and Peddle can't say exactly how many people have been killed at 21 MacDonald Drive over the years. But the 498-suite complex was long known as a hotbed for criminal activity.
Police calls cut in half
In 2014, police responded to 75 calls at the complex. The following year, with Peddle at the helm, that number had shrunk by more than half, to 34. So far this year, police have paid just seven visits.
"When we see a drop in calls for service, it is a good indication to suggest crime prevention programs do work, with the help of citizens and community partners," said RCMP Cpl. George Cameron. "It enables us to concentrate on other areas more."
To reach his goal, Peddle completed a two-day Crime Free Multi-Housing course with Edmonton police. He then made the safety and security upgrades necessary to pass inspection: installing good deadbolts in suites, trimming back trees, ensuring pathways and parking lots were well lit.
75 evictions
He's also evicted residents in more than 75 units. Peddle recalls telling a large group of men they had to go, because he suspected they were "dealing drugs in a large capacity" from their unit.
"I was very straightforward but very, very respectful to these gentlemen," said Peddle, who convinced them to leave within the hour. "No matter who people are, I treat them with respect. And when you treat people with respect, it comes back to you."
Still, the process was not without risk. One winter morning, Peddle stepped outside to find the headlights of his SUV bashed in. Someone keyed his wife's truck.
"It didn't faze me a bit," said Peddle. "Thank you, Jesus. That means we're doing a great job. We're pissing people off and we're making the difference. We're on the right road."
''Thank you Jesus. That means we're doing a great job. We're pissing people off and we're making the difference.' - Jeff Peddle on his vandalized vehicles
He has a similar attitude about threats made against his life.
"It's just part of the job, and I take it for what it is," said Peddle. "People are scared or intimidated, so they lash out."
In the first three months on the job, he had to deal with three deaths. One resident fell from a balcony, another died by suicide. Faint marks can still seen from three bullets that tore through an apartment door in February 2015, killing Mustafa Mattan.
Peddle said one key to his success was assembling "an incredible group" with the same goals and values. He worked with RCMP and bylaw officers but also customs and immigration, because illegal refugees "would actually come to the buildings and hide out."
He implemented and enforced restrictions, and used the Residential Tenancies Act and other legal tools, because "people will only do what you allow them to do."
But just as important was getting residents to take ownership and do their part.
Many owners, Peddle said, now "shake my hand and say they love to live here."
From a business perspective, it's a money saver. Peddle no longer has to fork over cash to repair vandalism, while suites are much easier to rent.
That money is now being spent to beautify the buildings, while residents also have access to a new basketball court and gym.
But Peddle, who moved from Newfoundland four years ago, was also invested on a personal level.
It's also where they opened their now popular Jamaican restaurant, Chez Max, with its head-bobbing reggae music, jerk chicken sizzling on the grill, and upbeat slogans painted on the walls of love and respect. It draws many new faces, such as one couple that dined earlier this week.
"They said they would never ever come to the restaurant because of the building," said Peddle. "But now they heard it's changing, they'll come."
291 Edmonton properties 'Crime Free'
Since 2001, when Edmonton police launched the program, 291 Edmonton properties have been certified as Crime Free.
In Fort McMurray, the program is beginning to catch on; at least two other landlords have completed the course.
"Everybody, no matter where you live, has the right to peace and enjoyment in their home," said Peddle, who regularly gets asked for advice and is now writing a book on how to be a successful landlord.
"I enjoy the fact of cleaning something up and getting bad people out and getting amazing people and making a place their home. To me, that's their right, having a great place to live."