First-time candidate Erhan Demirkaya gives two reasons he's running for a civic seat in Port Coquitlam: his son and daughter.
The 11-year resident said he is concerned about security at local schools and believes, as an elected official, he could better encourage SD43 and PACs to beef up safety measures on school properties. (City council has no jurisdiction over how schools are run; that falls to the board of education.)
Demirkaya said he also believes downtown PoCo business owners need protection, too. Security cameras like the ones placed in London, England, would do a great deal to prevent crime, he said. Business owners could pay for a pilot program, after consulting with the RCMP, and if it's successful, he said, more cameras could be added.
"If criminals see the camera, they're not going to do the stuff they're doing now because it will be on the camera and they will get caught."
When asked whether police presence should be boosted, Demirkaya was hesitant. He wants to review the city budget to see if more Mounties should be hired.
Demirkaya, who is not on any city committees and said he attends council meetings sporadically, also said he's in favour of having new and better sports fields, and improvements in public transportation (which is governed by TransLink).
Asked about his preferred route for the Fremont connector north of Prairie Avenue, the mechanical engineer with a master's degree chose Devon Road as he said it would affect fewer homeowners.
Demirkaya wants to be a councillor because "I love getting involved in the community I live in. I want a better and safer environment and I believe if I'm an elected official, we can do more."
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