Downtown businesses want more police on patrol

Some downtown Sudbury businesses are asking for increased police patrols to keep the central streets safe.

They're hoping that this would also help limit panhandling and loitering in front of shops.

Shop owner Mervi Mielonen said an increased police presence in the streets of downtown Sudbury could have prevented her business’s windows from being smashed.

"Maybe [police] should be out here walking the streets and riding [their] bike[s] … and making sure those kinds of things don't happen," she said.

Mielonen said that, although she feels safe downtown, she'd feel more comfortable if the police were more consistently in the area.

Large area to cover

That’s something the downtown business association would like to see.

"The idea has been floated that what we really need is regular foot patrol," said Susan Thompson spokesperson with the Downtown Village Development Corporation.

"That has the effect of making people move on. It's a really effective solution [and] we're really advocating for that."

But Greater Sudbury Police said there is already a police presence downtown, said Staff Sgt. Karrie Burke.

"In downtown Sudbury, given the time of year, we're doing our beats and bikes program," she said. "We have six officers assigned to the bikes and five officers assigned to beat patrol."

Thompson said her group has learned that even those resources are stretched.

"We're learning that they've got quite a large area to cover and, if they get side-tracked over in one part of the city, then they're not available in the downtown," Thompson said. "So it sounds like what we need is more resources and more dedicated foot patrol."

Burke noted there is not much police can do to prevent loitering unless the people are doing something illegal.

Thompson said some businesses have gone as far as to ask the city to remove the flowerbeds from the front of their premises so panhandlers and loiterers can’t sit on them.