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Merchant makes an appeal for greater police presence downtown

Shopkeeper says incidences of swearing, shouting, fighting on the rise; 'We don't know how many people have already stopped shopping downtown'
OPSB
Downtown merchant Ellen Wolper made a special presentation Tuesday to the Orillia Police Services Board to request increased policing on the main street. Mehreen Shahid/OrilliaMatters

A downtown merchant wants the main street to be a policing priority.

“There is swearing, shouting, and continuation of fights across the street, which could lead to accidents,” said Ellen Wolper, who made a presentation Tuesday to the Orillia Police Service Board (OPSB), asking them for a more visible police presence in the downtown.

The storeowner said, in the past, these problems were occasional issues and were usually resolved with assistance from the police.

But she added that more recently the amount of swearing and yelling, heightened tensions, and open alcohol has become more regular.

Wolper said she is concerned for the safety of the people living and visiting downtown, business owners, employees and kids coming to and from school.

“One merchant has said that his customers have started to ask him to meet them at their cars to walk them to and from his business,” she said.

The presence of a methadone clinic two doors down from her store doesn’t help, noted Wolper.

“It's frustrating, because I think all of this behaviour is a result of that,” she said.

If this continues, said Wolper, it will drive people away from shopping downtown.

“We don't know how many people have already stopped shopping downtown,” she added.

According to Wolper, the solution is an increased police presence in downtown Orillia through foot patrol.

“The truth is it's usually just a small number of people who ruin it for the rest of us,” she said. “For me, it's hard to feel positive, but I think a presence downtown would help.”

That way, Wolper said, police will be able to talk to storeowners and keep on top of things.

“I believe just seeing a uniformed police officer around would de-escalate things automatically, because I'm tired of doing that on my own,” she said. “We need a more dominant positive presence in downtown. If we were at the mall, there would be mall security.”

Staff Sergeant Rob Baskey, who was attending the meeting on behalf of Inspector Veronica Eaton, said he didn’t think a lack of foot patrol was an issue.

“We did report some foot patrol hours in March (12) and April (19),” said Baskey, “so I don't think it's an absence of foot patrol, but maybe we need to change the timing.”

After a community policing strategy was developed in 2015, he said more attention was paid to foot patrol in the downtown.

“We know that's our priority area,” said Baskey. “We're of the opinion that you call, and we come.”

With the detachment being a stone’s throw away from downtown, he said officers are always around and pro-actively addressing issues brought to their attention.

Since 2015, Baskey said, things have changed slightly.

“We now have daily operation plans, and maybe that’s where we can look at changing some things to make sure you see the foot patrol,” he told Wolper.

As a downtown business owner, Mayor Steve Clarke, who is chair of the OPSB, said he empathizes with Wolper.

“I understand there are wonderful folks in our community and I also understand there's interesting behaviour from time to time by some,” he said. “That needs to be addressed.

"I hope any merchant that is experiencing a problem would get hold of the Downtown Orillia Management Board (DOMB) and make them aware of it and let them be your voice. The police are quite willing to have a chat with merchants downtown.”

A semi-annual report by the DOMB, also part of the OPSB agenda, addressed the same issues Wolper had brought up.

Among other concerns, the report requests continued OPP support in appropriately and compassionately dealing with individuals battling mental illness; continued and increased patrols of the streets, and increased efforts and uniformed presence to address vandalism and minor theft.


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Mehreen Shahid

About the Author: Mehreen Shahid

Mehreen Shahid covers municipal issues in Cambridge
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