Safety in the city’s core

By Ashley Ann Mentley

Despite the recent shooting at Windsor’s Boom Boom Room, a nearby business owner is confident in the safety of the city.

Ljubica Cajan, owner of Tunnel Discount Convenience on Ouellette Avenue, has been working next to the night club since it opened in 2005.  She said she worries about robberies and the use of fake money, but overall she still feels safe.

“Downtown on Ouellette is the most safe,” Cajan said.  “There’s always police and there’s always people.”

Cajan and her husband have owned the convenience store since 1999.  Though they have never experienced a robbery, it remains her primary concern.  This month’s shooting isn’t the first crime to be associated with Boom Boom Room.  Less than two years ago, three men were taken to the hospital after a fight broke out inside.  Still, working next to the largest club in the city doesn’t worry Cajan.

“It’s a different kind of business,” she said about the relation of her store to Boom Boom Room.  “A drunk person can fire [a gun] anywhere.”

The safety of citizens downtown is a growing concern among Windsorites.  With the upcoming municipal election, many candidates are voicing their support of a safer core area.  At a Ward 3 debate, some candidates even suggested the need for metal detectors at the entrance to all clubs.  In response to the recent shooting, Boom Boom Room owner Renaldo Agostino announced that bouncers at the club will begin carrying hand-held metal detectors.

Jagruti Patel, whose family owns and operates Subway on Ouellette Avenue, said she believes downtown Windsor is not safe enough.

“I haven’t had any bad experiences,” Patel said.  Still, she is “concerned about the kids and the people leaving the store.”

The Patels have been in business for nine years and their sandwich shop remains open until midnight near the corner of Ouellette and University Avenues.  This is one of the busiest intersections downtown.

Patel said she believes closing the clubs and bars earlier will help avoid violence in the downtown area.

The most recent attack happened just outside Boom Boom Room at 2:40 a.m. and in the last month, the Windsor Police have reported 33 cases of assault in the downtown area.

“As a mother I’m thinking ‘my son comes home early, then I can sleep early,’” Patel said, looking towards her son who works at the restaurant with her.

Patel said she wishes there were more police to patrol the downtown areas.  A recent report the Fraser Institute, however, has identified Windsor as having the least efficient and most overstaffed police force in all of Canada.