Urgent action needed to address safety in Exchange, businesses and residents agree

People who live and work in Winnipeg's Exchange Districtare urging the police and city to take immediate steps to improve safety throughout the neighbourhood.

Dozens of people gathered inside Red River College on Tuesday night to discuss their concerns and probe what should be done regarding a recent rash of violence in the area.

Many of the speakers at the forum echoed the same message: Something must be done now to preventfuture issues.

"It is an urgent situation, so the city needs to listen to the people who are in the area," said Brian Scharfstein, president of Canadian Footwear and a member of the Winnipeg Police Board.

"We need to do this in a timely manner, this isn't something that can wait until spring."

Scharfstein has lived his entire life in the Exchange, and in those 66 years, the area has seen its highs and lows. Now, it's about ensuring safety for residents ofthe area, like his daughter who recently relocated to the neighbourhood.

"She wouldn't live any place else, so she certainly might challenge me as to the safety of what's going on in the area."

In October, a Red River College instructor was stabbed in a poorly lit area that had beendeemed unsafe for pedestrians.

All the speakers on Tuesday night agreed that better lighting, security cameras and an increased presence of patrols are at the top of the list to improve safety.

"We need more lighting in the area, that's key. There needs to be visible security in the area, people have to feel safe," said Scharfstein.

A Winnipeg police spokesperson said the Exchange is one of the areas that will see an improvement in closed-circuit televisionas part of citywide plans to bolster safety.

Lack of police presence

Joseph Cyr is one of many new faces in the Exchange, having moved into the area in the this past summer. Since moving to the neighbourhood, he said it's a rarity to see a police officer onthe streets.

"Having that presence, where if they can be able to drive by or just have some foot patrol., that would be helpful," said Cyr.

"I think a lot of people want to feel that extra bit of safety, especially considering when they were here down in the Public Safety Building. It just had that extra sense of safety."

The old police headquarters shut down in July 2016 after the Winnipeg Police Service moved into its new building downtown. In the year after the move, assaults reported in the Exchange District increased to 77, from 45 the year before.

Scharfstein agreed withCyr thatmore needs to be done, but said that responsibility shouldn't fall solely on the police.

"The greatest concern really right now is that there is not enough presence of safety, there are not enough police officers, there's not enough BIZpatrols," Scharfstein said.

A sense of community

In addition to these measures, Cyrsaid simple things likebeing a good neighbour and getting to know the people in the area can help create a sense of safety.

"I do make sure to encourage others to make sure that they are safe in the area, but just making sure to do the due diligence of it," he said.

"A random assault could happen but ideally everyone is keeping safe and aware of their own surroundings and we are safe enough."

Scharfstein said a strong community can be a strong deterrent toward crime.

"We need to talk to each other. The people who are in the area need to engage with people coming into the area to make them more comfortable," he said.