Security officers hired for Community Outreach Centre as complaints rise

The Community Outreach Centre in downtown Charlottetown has hired a security team in light of a rising number of complaints from residents in the area.

Two security officers will monitor the exterior of the Euston Street building and the surrounding area. The executive director of The Adventure Group, which oversees the centre,saidtheir role will be toenforce restrictions, help de-escalate tense situations, and keep people not allowed to be on the premises off the site as well as away from neighbouring properties.

"[They will] be another set of trained eyes in regards to concerns for clients, and [will] help us with being able to monitor what's going on in the properties beside us," saidRoxanne Carter-Thompson.

"It's really important to us to be good neighbours."

The provincially funded outreach centreoffers support to people seeking financial assistance, counselling, employment, food and housing. People can use the building's washrooms, laundry facilities, phones and computers, as well as connect with community and government organizations and services.

But managers have been dealing with complaints about property damage, theft, and threats since shortly after it was moved to the location in the spring of 2021.

Earlier this summer, Charlottetown police said it hadhired two full-time officers responsible for safety in the area.At that time, police said they were dealing with two to three calls a day at the centre.

Police will still be called

Carter-Thompson said the new security measure won't replace police presence in the neighbourhood.

"It's going to be a complement," she said of the security team. "I don't think that one cancels out the other."

Charlottetown Chief of Police Brad MacConnellsaid he welcomes the development.

Our hope is that this added security presence will prevent incidents from occurring and therefore reducethe calls for service for police and first responders.Brad MacConnell

"Our hope is that this added security presence will prevent incidents from occurring and therefore reducethe calls for service for police and first responders," he said in an email to CBC News, adding that his departmenthopes "the presence of security will promote a safe environment at that location and the surrounding area."

The provincial government is providing the funding for the new positions through its Housing Department, a spokesperson said in an email on Tuesday.

"We've added to our current security contract with the security company responsible for the Park Street Emergency Shelter to add security services at the Outreach Centre," the email said in part.

"To be clear, we aren't taking away from security services at Park Street but adding additional security support to the Outreach Centre."

Security officers will be on the premises from 7:30 a.m. AT to 8:30 p.m.

'Where would those individuals be?'

The P.E.I. government has previously said it intends to eventually move the centre, which is located between two schools, to a different location.

The Park Street Emergency Shelter site is being flagged as a potential new location, butHousing Minister Rob Lantz said last month that there must be an environmental assessment of that property before they would consider moving the centre there. It used to host aprovincial government garage.

Carter-Thompson said neighbours' safety concerns are warranted, repeating what she has said in the past about the facility needing to move elsewhere in Charlottetown. But she stressed that the centre provides a necessary service.

"I feel for the community members that live around here. This is not their choice, to have the centre be near their homes. That said, if the centre wasn't here, I can't imagine what other issues that people would be dealing with," she said.

"Where would those individuals be? They would be on someone's doorstep. People would find someone sleeping on their back deck in the morning. And not that that's not happening ... Unfortunately the fabric of our community has changed and we all have to look at how we can work together to support each other."

Carter-Thompson said the centre supports almost 300 clients every month.