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Summer safety plan gets more money, to start earlier in 2025

Summer safety plan gets more money, to start earlier in 2025

The Downtown Community Safety Partnership is ramping up foot patrols to protect and police residents and visitors, including wildfire evacuees who've sought refuge in Winnipeg, as part of its now-annual summer action plan.
The Manitoba government has earmarked $500,000 for the initiative. The office of Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham is contributing an additional $50,000. The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ has also pitched in with $25,000.
Representatives from all three organizations made the announcement at The Forks on Friday.
This year's summer action plan will officially launch on June 17 with a focus on criminal detection, community engagement and mental health and addictions supports. It is scheduled to span 16 weeks, up from the inaugural 12-week initiative in 2024.
'Downtown is buzzing with new developments, big crowds at Sea Bears and Goldeyes games, summer festivals and Portage and Main reopening in a few weeks,' Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a news release.
'To keep that momentum going, we've got to make sure people feel safe. Investing in the Summer Action Plan will put more patrols on the street, connect more people to support and make downtown safer for everyone.'
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West Broadway ‘gut punch'
West Broadway ‘gut punch'

Winnipeg Free Press

time28-06-2025

  • Winnipeg Free Press

West Broadway ‘gut punch'

A thief beat the rush, breaking into a West Broadway fashion boutique before opening day. The Winnipeg neighbourhood is one of several lacking support while other areas see increased security measures, the local business improvement zone asserted. '(It's) a gut punch,' said shop owner Lennard Taylor. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press Local designer Lennard Taylor outside his new business address Friday. The location was broken into this week, but Taylor hopes to spin the event into something positive. He's been in the process of moving his eponymous shop, Lennard Taylor Design Studio, to a storefront at 67 Sherbrook St. from an Exchange District space. On Tuesday, the entrepreneur spent 14 hours transferring his sculptures and artwork. He kept his phone silent for a solid night's rest, Taylor said — and read an alarm notification upon waking. Around 2:40 a.m. Wednesday, somebody stole his business computer, cash box, iPad and other machines. He estimates roughly $10,000 worth of goods was taken. 'It hurts a lot because I'm just going on a brand new move, my money's really tight right now,' Taylor said Friday. He recalled going through the motions — feeling violated, embarrassed, taken advantage of. He meditated. Ultimately, the entrepreneur settled on aiming for positivity. He's created a raffle for charity and plans to lean into community events on his shop's front lawn. 'It dawned on me that it's not about me,' Taylor said. 'It's about the community as a whole and caring for our society and what (we're) doing as a society to influence our world.' Break-ins are common enough in the neighbourhood to warrant a West Broadway BIZ grant for security measures. Mike Williams used it to purchase shutters for Korner Stop, his convenience store. 'The best investment I ever made, ever, was having shutters on all my windows and doors,' Williams said. 'That's paid in dividends.' He's clocked a change in crime over the past 45 years. Back in the 1980s and '90s, hold-ups involving weapons seemed to be more common. Now, shoplifting and break-ins have taken the lead, he said. He blames methamphetamine addictions. 'I've seen the good, the bad, the ugly. And right now, I can tell you, it's ugly,' Williams said. 'It's not just here in Winnipeg — it's happening everywhere.' Nearby, Decadence Chocolates implemented exterior shutters following break-ins around 2022. There haven't been issues of the kind since, said employee Lauren Willems. Still, shoplifting occurs. Addicts, too, are around, Willems noted. 'It's really unfortunate that they're not getting the help that they need and are having to resort to things like this,' she said. 'I sympathize and empathize, but we also put a lot of money and work into what we're doing here. 'We'd like that to be respected.' The West Broadway BIZ introduced its safety and security grant during the COVID-19 pandemic. The 50-50 cost-shared program, which is ongoing, has paid out some $19,000 to eight companies. 'We do what we can to support our members,' said Eric Napier Strong, West Broadway BIZ executive director. 'But there's kind of a limit to what we can do to support public safety.' He's calling for a 'broader view' of safety because businesses across the city are affected. Government has announced increased patrols for targeted zones including Osborne Village, Exchange District and West End. West Broadway has seen a 275 per cent increase in cases of shoplifting of $5,000 or under, year-over-year, for the 12 months ending in March. The 30 cases are an 11 per cent jump above the five-year average, per Winnipeg Police Service data. Break-and-enter reports declined almost 40 per cent over the five-year average. (Ruwis' Hair, Beauty & Nails and Bistro Dansk, a nearly 50-year-old company, are among the West Broadway businesses who haven't experienced break-ins.) 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For now, Lennard Taylor will continue selling clothing on its front lawn until it gets final permits for its store. It doesn't yet have an opening date. Gabrielle PichéReporter Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle. Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.

McDonald's franchisee nominated to police board
McDonald's franchisee nominated to police board

Winnipeg Free Press

time17-06-2025

  • Winnipeg Free Press

McDonald's franchisee nominated to police board

A business owner hopes to raise his own concerns about repeated incidents of retail crime as a new member of the Winnipeg Police Board, while Winnipeg's mayor prepares to leave the oversight body. Mayor Scott Gillingham has nominated Amit Kapoor to join the board that oversees the Winnipeg Police Service, pending a final council vote. After being on the front lines of retail theft, Kapoor said he hopes to advocate on behalf of businesses in the new role. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Mayor Scott Gillingham has nominated Amit Kapoor, RIGHT, to join the Winnipeg Police Board that oversees the Winnipeg Police Service, pending a final council vote. 'There have been quite a few break-ins in my restaurants and people have come even in… broad daylight. Sometimes they are armed, and sometimes they're not, but they have threatened our guests as well as my staff,' said Kapoor, in an interview Tuesday. 'Once you're part of retail, you understand and you see what happens around you.' Kapoor, whose company Kapson Family Restaurants Ltd. owns several McDonald's franchises across the city, believes retail crime began increasing seven or eight years ago and is not limited to a specific neighbourhood or type of business. In addition to break-ins and threats, he said one of his employee's cars was stolen. While his restaurants now have multiple cameras and alarms, the business owner said further measures are needed to address the nagging issue. He said safety concerns have hurt some businesses and forced a few to close. 'I saw a couple of people shut their shops in downtown because of retail crime,' said Kapoor. He declined to discuss specific changes he'd like the police board to pursue, noting he's still learning about the role he would like to take on. In the meantime, Kapoor said he welcomes the business community's feedback on crime and safety. Coun. Markus Chambers, chairman of the police board, said Kapoor will offer valuable insight. 'Given the fact that we're dealing with retail crime, it's great to have that perspective on the board and somebody that can speak to the issue that retailers are going through currently … He also provides another perspective in terms of being from the Indo-Canadian community,' said Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River). The mayor noted Kapoor has been on the 'front line' of key public safety concerns. 'He's got a really good view and an understanding of what it means to work in the city of Winnipeg, run a business, the impact of public safety on businesses, and employees and customers. I know he'll bring a wealth of experience,' said Gillingham. Kapoor will fill the seat recently left vacant when Kevin Selch's term expired. Meanwhile, the mayor announced his own departure from the board. During his 2022 election campaign, Gillingham promised to seek council approval to join the board, pitching the move as a way to help hold WPS accountable on crime-prevention strategies. On Tuesday, the mayor said he's confident police Chief Gene Bowers is now tackling many of the goals Gillingham hoped to achieve as a board member. 'We have a chief… that really fulfils a lot of the vision that I laid out in my campaign platform, one who is a collaborative chief, one who is focused back on crime prevention,' he said. Gillingham noted leaving the board will allow him to focus on other key issues. 'We have got to get the third phase of the north end (sewage treatment) plant (upgrade) funded. We've got to talk to the federal and provincial governments about other key infrastructure projects that are growth-enabling and trade-enabling, and that includes (expanding) Kenaston/ Route 90 and the Chief Peguis Trail extension. We've got the new Transit network that's got to be rolled out… I'm going to pour my time and energy into those matters,' he said. While a member of city council is expected to replace the mayor, Gillingham said there's no set date for that appointment. 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Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.

Winnipeg police unit that targets repeat violent offenders averages an arrest per day
Winnipeg police unit that targets repeat violent offenders averages an arrest per day

CTV News

time13-06-2025

  • CTV News

Winnipeg police unit that targets repeat violent offenders averages an arrest per day

A Winnipeg Police Service shoulder badge is seen at a press conference in Winnipeg on Sept. 2, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski Dozens of violent criminals in Manitoba are being arrested, released, and then reoffending, only to be arrested again. The Manitoba Integrated Violent Offender Apprehension Unit was established in 2023, and it targets and closely monitors high-risk criminals. To date, the unit has made 730 arrests, which works out to about an average of one a day. A report to the police board, where Mayor Scott Gillingham is a member, showed 85 per cent of those apprehended were on bail, parole, or probation. 'This to me is the most disturbing part of the entire report,' said Gillingham. Police Chief Gene Bowers said those 700-plus arrests take a lot of effort and hours. 'There's homicide suspects in there, you know, they don't want to be found by the police, so there's a lot of work in that 700,' said Bowers. The numbers prompted the mayor to reiterate calls for tougher bail measures. 'We've got individuals who continue to perpetuate crime and cause terror in our city because they're out on bail. Like, we want those people to get well, but they're not getting well in my view, running around the city,' said Gillingham. Bowers echoed the sentiment and said it might be time to consider bringing back minimum sentences. 'If you talk about minimum sentences, which are no longer for firearms and weapons, use of machetes, that might be something that should be looked at as well, because of the seriousness of those types of offences,' said Bowers. In 2022, the then Trudeau government reversed mandatory minimums for some drug and firearm offences over concerns that Indigenous and Black offenders were more likely to be incarcerated for crimes under minimum sentencing laws. Christopher Gamby from the Criminal Defence Lawyers Association of Manitoba said there are constitutional considerations as well, as a crime might not fit the punishment. 'The legal firearm owner who now finds themselves doing something illegal, possibly unwittingly or by mistake, could be vulnerable to a three-year mandatory minimum,' said Gamby.

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