Osborne Village biz owners plead for crime crackdown to continue

Business leaders are nervous the current crackdown on crime in Osborne Village, which has resulted in the arrest of more than 140 people since July, will be abandoned later this fall when it’s scheduled to be reassessed.

Mridul Vohra, owner of Freshslice Pizza at River Avenue and Osborne Street, said the increased police presence has been a godsend, but he worries the program won’t be sustained.

“It makes a lot of difference when there are more police… but they can’t be there all the time,” Vohra said. “As soon as they stop patrolling, it’s going to be garbage again.”

A Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson confirmed officers will continue to pour resources into the Village until at least Nov. 1, when the crackdown will be reviewed.

The initiative resulted in police intervening in 777 incidents and placing 146 people under arrest from July 24 to Sept. 1, Winnipeg Police Service Chief Gene Bowers said in a new report that’s to be presented to the Winnipeg Police Board on Friday.

The report provides an update into violent crime and theft in the Village, which has long been a cornerstone in Winnipeg’s business sector, said Retail Council of Canada spokesperson John Graham.

“The significant number of arrests and incidents police have responded to highlights the types of issues retailers have been dealing with for the past couple of years,” said Graham, the council’s government relations director for the Prairies, on Thursday.

“What we’ve seen is a much stronger co-ordination between retailers, police and prosecution to focus on the number of incidents that businesses have been experiencing. We know that community policing… has helped.”

City police stepped up patrols and operations in the Village, using uniformed and plainclothes officers to “detect, deter and respond to crime,” the chief’s report said.

When the initiative was launched in July, police said they would take a zero-tolerance approach to violent crime and disruptive behaviour in businesses and on the street.

The move came in response to concerns from residents and business owners in the area, and is informed by crime trends and data, the report said.

The police service declined to comment on the updated figures Thursday, saying all questions must be directed to Bowers at the police board meeting.

Vohra, who opened his pizza shop just over a year ago, said he was drawn to the neighbourhood because it has among the highest population density in Winnipeg. Business there has proven difficult, however, and Vohra estimated he has had to call emergency services more than 200 times.

“I have noticed some change (since the crackdown began) but it’s like up and down, up and down. Some days are very smooth and clean, and then some days are back-to-back very stressful,” he said.

Vohra said he frequently has trouble with repeat offenders, who do not seem to fear the consequences of being charged with a crime.

Many businesses in the area have expressed support for the police patrols to continue, said Zohreh Gervais, executive director of Osborne Village BIZ.

“Consistent and visible policing has had a positive impact on the sense of security in our neighbourhood, and we believe sustained efforts are essential to maintaining this progress,” she said in an email statement.

“We are encouraged by the service’s willingness to engage directly with our community, listen to our concerns, and take meaningful action.”

In addition to ongoing, year-round police presence, businesses are calling for a slate of other improvements, Gervais said.

They include enhanced lighting and security infrastructure in public spaces; access to mental health and addictions resources; ongoing communication with police; and support for community-led safety programs.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca