‘Downtown remains safe’ says Windsor police as candidates pitch ideas to combat crime
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Two candidates in Windsor’s municipal election pitched plans to tackle crime Wednesday morning while city law enforcement shone a light on downtown safety.
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Renaldo Agostino, one of nine in the running for Ward 3, said safety will be his No. 1 priority if elected. The longtime business owner wants more officers hired and re-deployed to the core “where they are needed most,” and the re-implementation of an off-duty policing program that allowed private businesses to hire police officers for increased security.
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“Windsor is amazing. The people here are amazing. We can make downtown amazing again,” Agostino said. “We just have to put in a little bit of work, a little bit of elbow grease will get the job done. It’s amazing down here. If we take these steps, we can be even better.”
Agostino’s proposals follow a series of recent violent events in the city’s core, including the police shooting death of a man wielding a machete and random attacks on lone men by a group of males, as well as an unprovoked attack and a separate stabbing on Labour Day weekend.
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Windsor police assure residents that downtown “remains safe and welcoming.” In a news release issued Wednesday morning, the service said September has been its “busiest” month of the year. However, crimes against people, including assaults and stabbings, are actually trending downwards compared to the last decade; the 10-year average for such crimes is 8.75 per month, but the average this year is 6.11 per month.
Police said they wanted to “shine a light” on ongoing efforts to “deter, de-escalate and disrupt crime” in the core in response to public concerns about recent violent assaults downtown.
Those efforts include deploying the Problem-Oriented Policing Unit following “higher-than-normal levels of violence” earlier this month, resulting in eight suspect arrests on Sept. 8. In a similar operation in August, the unit made four arrests, located a missing person, gave out 11 tickets for driving infractions, and took two suspended drivers off the road.
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“We’ve heard from downtown residents and business owners who don’t feel safe and are frustrated by crime,” said interim police Chief Jason Bellaire. “We understand and share those concerns, and we continue to take a community-focused approach to ensure public safety.”
The force is also exploring adding patrols to the downtown area and deploying more officers on foot to increase “street-level presence.” The additional officers “would enable us to work more closely with residents and business owners to identify and address their growing concerns,” police said.
“Recent high-profile incidents have understandably raised some questions and concerns, but we want residents, visitors, and business owners to know that our downtown is incredibly safe,” said acting Deputy Chief Jason Crowley.
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“We know that many of the crimes downtown are committed by a small number of people, and we also know that substance use and mental health can drive this issue. We encourage everyone to remain vigilant, especially when walking alone at night, and to report any suspicious or criminal activity so we can respond appropriately.”
Crime elsewhere in Windsor had Ward 7 candidate Angelo Marignani’s attention Wednesday. During his own media event outside the Forest Glade Community Centre, he shared his idea for a smaller satellite police station at the community centre, which is roughly a dozen kilometres away from Windsor police headquarters.
“The crime here is more because of response time,” Marignani said. “There is the knowledge that people can get away with it before police officers come. That’s why I think a satellite police station would be an effective project to start — it would reduce that response time.”
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Marignani would also like better lighting at Forest Glade Optimist Park as well as closed circuit television cameras around the skate park and new tennis and pickleball courts.
“Residents are frustrated. There are people who live around the park who will not let their kids come to the park because they’re afraid of crime.”
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