Police Release Downtown Safety Plan, and Bolster Downtown Foot Patrols, and the Issue

We heard some good news this week from the Winnipeg Police, who are adding eight downtown foot patrols to the downtown beat, and officially released the beginning of the downtown Safety Plan. This is another positive step forward, adding to the WPS resources we have see come on-line over the last year. And based on our meetings with WPS, we know there is more to come. There is no doubt in our minds that WPS is committed to our downtown and our City. And with the recent Provincial commitment of 54-foot patrols and 25 more Cadets, we know the Province gets it too.

These steps and actions have been in play for well over a year now.

See BIZ Advocacy efforts, here: http://www.dsnwinnipeg.com/lobbying.cfm

Given the tens of thousands of people who come downtown on a daily basis, and the hundreds of millions of dollars being invested into our city centre, safety is a priority for the BIZ and our stakeholders.

We all know that the downtown social challenges combined with crime are issues that need to be managed, and eventually comprehensively addressed. While overall crime seems to continue decline this year, see here, http://www.dsnwinnipeg.com/documents/CSspecificsOCT.pdf

....there is some blips to take note off. And as we have witnessed this summer, a series of serious crimes can easily shake the public's confidence. Sexual assaults for example have doubled over last year, from 17 to 34. While only 34 out of 195 sexual assaults reported Citywide this year occurred downtown, this is of obvious concern.

But if you dig down on all the crime stats (only by walking the streets and keeping close contact with our police), there is a greater concern.

The greater concern is knowing where and to who a majority of these incidents are happening against, and it's primarily the most vulnerable in our community.

Typically fuelled by alcohol and other substances, sexual assaults and violent crimes are unfortunately more common among the less fortunate people who struggle with poverty and live and hang out on our streets.

Our Watch at times intercept and prevent such incidents, by simply being present, asking the alleged perpetrator to leave and offering assistance to the at times intoxicated victim (who asks for our help in getting out of the situation).

For example, there have been times when a street person is being beaten and/or robbed by another street person, and we are there to intervene and stop a crime, as best as we can. At times the two individuals don't know each other, but more often they do. It's a tough role for the Watch to play, helping one less fortunate person, while asking another to move on.

We'd prefer the Cadets or the WPS to do this, but we walk the streets daily and we see what's happening. This is why we have been continually advocating for more police presence, and this is why the BIZ added another 10 Watch to our compliment this year.

The magnitude of social issues, which at times turns to more serious crimes, is difficult for many to understand and comprehend unless you're on the streets every day, like our staff members are. And the public perceptions are indeed real.

This is one of the main reasons (aside from it simply being the "right" thing to do) why the BIZ has been more vocal about government stepping up and creating supportive housing for those less fortunate. It's to help them off the street, and into a better environment. To help them maintain housing. And by doing so, returning their personal dignity, reducing crime and panhandling, and improving the image of our city in doing so.

While some media are quick to point the fact that violent crime is on the rise, and that the downtown is unsafe, it's unfortunate they don't delve deeper into the numbers and reasons and long-term solutions.

And rather than instilling fear in the general public from the suburbs, who have the least to fear, they could provide a voice to those that have none, and those who are more likely to be victimized in our downtown.