Downtown still waiting for police foot-patrols during high-risk times

Staff of downtown bars are still concerned despite Windsor police saying foot patrols would be increased.

Windsor’s Chief of Police Al Frederick and Mayor Drew Dilkens have offered some solutions to the increased crime in the downtown area in light of a recent shooting. However, bar owners and staff feel ignored and are still waiting for their issues to be addressed.

Frederick said although resources are stretched there will be extra officers to tackle the rise in crime.

This year in Windsor there has been an 18 per cent increase in property crime and a seven per cent increase in violent crime. These figures are driven largely by downtown activity.

“Drug addiction and mental health issues have become an epidemic in Windsor,” said Tom Lucier, owner of Phog Lounge.

Lucier said the absence of witnesses during the weekdays gives rise to crime and other concerning activity found around the alleys and parking lots surrounding his bar. He said the “hot time” is weekdays between 11:30 p.m. and 3 a.m. and he said he hopes police officers concentrate their efforts during those times.

Dilkens said public safety will be a priority of his re-election platform and announced a “zero tolerance for crime” measure, a plan including the hiring of 12 new officers for $1.4 million and an eight officer downtown patrol which would cost $320,000 annually.

In the first eight months of 2018, downtown has seen a 15 per cent increase in vehicle theft which has musicians and patrons of Phog Lounge worried.

“The fact that you have to worry about your car getting broken into every time you come downtown, it’s not cool,” said Lucier. “Musicians are not okay with how things are going. They park out here illegally and hope they don’t get tickets now because they want to keep an eye out for their stuff. I don’t blame them.”

As a temporary solution, Lucier and other bar owners and staff downtown have begun patrolling the area themselves, creating a “presence-patrol” in hopes to prevent and keep an eye out for crime and other suspicious activity.

“I see guys on bikes with backpacks constantly looking to break into cars,” said Lucier. “They have their hands up to car windows in the alley here, trying door handles, flashlights in the cars, I see it all the time. We’ve had a lot of people get arrested after we’ve called because they are carrying stolen property, or trying to find an opportunity to take something that doesn’t belong to them.”

Lucier said a police foot patrol would do a lot to improve the area’s safety and prevent regular car break-ins around the area. He acknowledges there has been an effort made by the police but believes their timing is off.

“I was told that they came through on the weekend and maybe on Sunday, but I’ve been here Monday [to] Wednesday and nobody came by,” said Lucier.

Frederick said police allocate resources to where they are needed based on an analysis of that need. Extra police resources are sent downtown during high volume times which are Fridays and Saturdays.

“There is a walking unit which is on duty from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday night,” said Frederick. “[It’s] having a visible presence and letting the public know that we are in the area and always reminding the public that they are the eyes and ears of the police.”

Weekdays are still the main concern for Lucier who said that days with low volume gives rise to criminal behaviour.

“I think it’s good that they were out but my concern is that foot patrols should coincide with the kind of activity that regular people [or business owners] aren’t around for,” said Lucier.

Down the street from Phog Lounge is Villains Beastro where the staff have not seen police foot-patrols. Dayna Poisson, manager of Villains, has been a bartender downtown for seven years. This is the first year she has not felt safe.

“I don’t think it’s right for us to not feel safe in our own community,” said Poisson. “Where are the foot-patrols? Where are our tax dollars going? I want to see people feeling comfortable and safe,” said Poisson.

In the meantime, Poisson is looking to get self-defence training for herself and other bartenders and servers downtown.

“I just want the patrols at the right times,” said Lucier, who welcomes downtown patrolling officers to his bar to get to know his staff. “If I knew that there were going to be regular patrols I would just go home as soon as we closed, but right now that’s not happening.”

He believes building a relationship with police officers is important so they know who is who, who to trust, and they get a better sense of the area.