Downtown - making a safe place to live, work, and play
Chief Danny Smyth
A healthy and vibrant downtown is important both culturally and economically. It signals to the community and to visitors outside the community that this is a safe place to live, work, and play. This summer we got a taste of that vibrancy during the World Police & Fire Games. Thousands of people came to Winnipeg for the event. They stayed in our downtown hotels, ate in our downtown restaurants, and gathered at venues at The Forks, the RBC Convention Center, and the Canada Life Center. While the games were happening, the second week of the Fringe Festival was also occurring. Our Sports, Hospitality, and Entertainment District (SHED) along with our Exchange District were buzzing with people enjoying the culture and entertainment that downtown can offer. Through it all, there was an enhanced police presence that acted as goodwill ambassadors and ensured safety. It was nice to see.
The pandemic, and the way we responded to the pandemic had a detrimental impact on our downtown. There was no reason to be there. The lockdowns resulted in isolation. People were forced to stay home. Tens of thousands of workers and students were no longer commuting downtown. Entertainment venues halted operations—restaurants and bars soon followed. Within a relatively short period of time our downtown felt hollow and abandoned.
As we continue to transition from the pandemic, I have spent time listening and receiving feedback about the state of our downtown. Most want to get on with the business of living, working, and playing downtown, but there are concerns about safety and the perception of public disorder. There is a certain contagion that is associated to how the downtown is perceived. If people perceive danger or disorder they will stay away. Conversely if people perceive excitement and vibrancy it attracts more people. Various levels of government have made commitments to provide resources to address some very complex problems, including the recovery of our downtown. Many are not prepared to wait for long-term change.
Police can help the recovery process now. Our interim strategy emphasizes police visibility and presence so that people can live and go about their business in relative safety.
Deterrence of Criminal Activity—an increased police presence generally tends to deter criminal activities including petty crimes, thereby promoting a safer environment. Crimes of opportunity are less likely to be committed if offenders perceive a high likelihood of being caught, which is more probable with a heightened police presence.
Emergency Response—increased police presence means a quicker response times to any emergencies, which can aid in reducing the impacts of criminal activities and maintaining public order.
Downtown Community Policing—more police presence also provides the opportunity for police officers to engage with the community members who live, work, and visit downtown. The engagement fosters relationships, and builds trust—a strategy that is often used to reduce crime and disorder in the long-term as Aaron Bourque told us on his 8-years walking the downtown beat.
There are plenty of examples where police visibility and presence succeeded in a positive change in the perception of public safety:
· Times Square in New York City was perceived as a seedy and dangerous place to visit in the 1990’s. Police presence successfully helped deter and reduce crime. It improved public safety and helped revitalize the economy in the area. New businesses, restaurants, and theatres opened up, attracting more tourists and visitors.
· The Washington Mall is a significant tourist attraction in Washington. After the 9-11 attacks an increased police presence was deployed. Deterring acts of terrorism was the main reason for the increased presence, however, it didn’t take long for people to notice that the presence also reduced routine crime and helped maintain order.
· Here locally, a police presence at the Millennial Library in Winnipeg has contributed to the public safety in and around the library. Drug use and concealed weapons within the library are no longer a concern. Our front-line members assigned to the library have had many pleasant engagements with library patrons.
Visible police presence was one of the key strategies that helped all of these locations positively change the perception of public safety and security.
Currently there are twenty-four full-time officers assigned downtown to the Foot Patrol Unit. With the support of the Police Board, and the Provincial government, the WPS is planning to double the size of the Foot Patrol Unit. This hiring process will take about a year. In the interim we have adjusted our existing resources:
· An Inspector has been assigned as a full-time events coordinator with the authority to plan and assign resources to various events within the SHED and the Exchange Districts. Whether it’s a Chicks concert on a Monday night, or the Alleyways Market on a Friday. Police will be assigned and nearby to ensure public safety and order.
· There are approximately one-hundred Community Support officers assigned to the East, West, North, and Central districts of the city. Each day, some of those officers will be assigned downtown to augment the existing Foot Patrol Unit. These temporary assignments will continue until we complete our recruitment plan to double the size of the unit.
· Finally, the WPS Cadet Unit is also visible presence that works with and augments the Foot Patrol Unit. There is continual coordination and communication. They perform as an extra set of eyes on the street.
I am well aware of the critics who will argue that this is over-policing-- that the increased police presence and surveillance could potentially infringe on individual’s civil liberties and privacy, or lead to racial profiling and the harassment of minority communities. I also know that our front-line members are well-trained, and regularly use discretion to manage people respectfully without resorting to arrest or detention. Restorative justice is also a key component of our strategy, and each quarter we report on hundreds of instances where people were cautioned or diverted to social programming instead of being charged criminally.
The pandemic also had a detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of a lot of people. Every day our front-line officers encounter people in need of assistance or in crisis. Strong partnerships have been established with groups like the Downtown Community Safety Partnership, Street Links, and shared Health, who have skilled outreach workers who work in tandem with our Foot Patrol Unit to meet the social needs of those we encounter who need assistance.
The police have an essential role in helping downtown recover. Community livelihood requires public safety. Our front-line officers are very skilled at meeting the challenge of balancing public safety with individual rights. Police are part of the solution. You will see us out there.