NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH PROGRAM - MARCH 2010
- Michele Lawson, STAFF Mar 11, 2010 - 6:00 AM
Downtown residents form Neighbourhood Watch
BARRIE - A downtown resident association is the latest in the city to initiate a neighbourhood watch program, according to Barrie’s crime prevention officer Const. Angela Butler.
“There are now more than 50 neighbourhood watch programs throughout
the city,” said Butler, who has helped establish five of those programs
since she took over her new role last fall.
“Your neighbours are more likely to know who you are – your visitors, your schedules – than police on patrol. It’s definitely a proactive approach to creating a safe city.”
The Barrie Downtown Neighbourhood Association (BDNA) originally discussed a watch program when the resident group was in the early stages of organizing last year, but got serious about going forward with the initiative last month.
“It took us months to just get formed and decide what direction we wanted to go in,” recalled BDNA member Karen Fox, who attended a public information with Butler late last month.
“We’re at the stage where we’re recruiting for participants,” reported Mike Fox, a member of the BDNA’s crime and safety committee. “Right now we’re looking for captains for the neighbourhoods. Then Const. Butler will run a more focused training session.”
Because of the expansive area included in the BDNA, many captains are required to provide full coverage.
“Some have 30 households, or even double that,” said Butler. “With everyone’s support we can do it. You don’t have to have the support of everyone, but that’s better.”
Fox said the group is first focusing on the residential area directly adjacent to the city’s commercial core.
“It’s not meant to be time intensive,” he explained. “If it gets to be too large an area, it’s too cumbersome and large to manage.”
The first step in establishing a watch is creating interest and hosting a meeting, Butler told a full house at the Barrie Community Health Centre.
The event began with a few words from Ward 2 Coun. Jeff Lehman who was instrumental in BDNA’s formation. MP Patrick Brown also showed up to reinforce the federal government’s commitment to crime prevention.
Once a group is committed to the program, Butler will distribute signage and homes are assessed to determine how to make them less attractive for criminal activity.
Getting a dog can also help, she suggested.
“It’s one of the best deterrents for break and enters,” she explains. “These are crimes of opportunity. They’ll think twice if they see the Beware of Dog sign. Dogs create noise and attract attention.”
Shrubbery and exterior lighting are also among the features of homes and businesses that are examined during a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) assessment.
Going forward, Butler will be supporting neighbourhood watches by posting a newsletter and tip sheet on the program website on the first day of each month.
For information on Barrie Neighbourhood Watch programming, click here, or call Butler at 725-7025, ext. 2926.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH PROGRAM STARTED FEB 2010
Neighbourhood Watch program starting downtown
BARRIE - Downtown residents are invited to a Neighbourhood Watch information meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
Sponsored
by the Crime Prevention and Safety Committee of the Barrie Downtown
Neighbourhood Association, the meeting is being held at the Barrie
Community Health Centre at the corner of Maple Avenue and Ross Street.
The
meeting will feature Barrie Police Const. Angela Butler of the Crime
Prevention Unit, who will discuss implementing a Neighbourhood Watch
program for downtown Barrie.
The program involves neighbours working together with Barrie Police Services to reduce crime in their neighbourhood.
For more information, call Sharon at 734-9690, ext. 241.
CITY OF BARRIE - PUBLIC MEETING
A public meeting hasbeen scheduled for September 27, 2010 toestablish minimum separation distances for tattoo parlours, pawn shops, bodypiercing parlours, and payday loan establishments in the CityCentre.
Further details to follow as available.
PETITION AGAINST THE DISPLAY OF DRUG PARPHENALIA
If
you're against the display of drug paraphenalia in corner stores,
please go to this site to read, and sign the peition, which we will be
presenting to the city.
Thanks
http://www.barriemeansbusiness.com/phpPE
REACTION TO OUR DOWNTOWN BARS POSITION
This email is from Jeff Lehman, and I felt that it should be posted to show Jeff's support of our position. Jeff is quite right in saying that the letter should have been specific to the downtown core.
Ben
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Hello
Ben and the BDNA Steering Committee – in advance of tonight’s council meeting I
wanted to send you a note regarding the letter you sent to Council and to the
media requesting a city-wide ban on new liquor licenses.
I will
be pursuing a municipal resolution to the AGCO against more bars downtown. As
you know, I think we may also be able to restrict the number of new bars in the
core through zoning as well through the minimum separation distances. The
public meeting on the zoning change for minimum separation distances on certain
uses downtown will occur at Council in September, that initiative is already in
the works and may have the effect of restricting or preventing more large bars
in the downtown; however, the current motion does not address this issue so I am
going to need to do some more work with Planning on this first.
In short
though I agree with the intent of the letter and we were already moving in that
direction with the proposal for a LLA review committee, like
Kitchener.
However, the letter specifically requests a moratorium "on any
and all licensed premises being established or expanded in Barrie". Was that
the intent, or should it have read "in Downtown Barrie"? Why is the suggestion
to ban all new licenses anywhere in the city?
I don’t
believe Council will support a city-wide ban on all new licenses due to problems
in one part of the city with one kind of establishment. I can’t support denying
the Kelsey’s on Bryne Drive a liquor license because of the problems in Downtown
Barrie. As another example, it so happens that the next item after your letter
on the correspondence list at tonight’s meeting is an LLA application from a
diner (capacity 40 people) on Huronia Road. This lady would like to be able to
serve beer and wine at her restaurant in the industrial area near Big Bay Point
and Huronia, which I don’t have a problem with. So I don't think we would want
to put a moratorium on licenses in all of Barrie, most restaurants cannot
survive without a license, and I'm not aware that the same problems exist in
other parts of the city.
Also, I
tend to think the problem downtown is not generally with restaurants, it's the
nightclubs and bars. Frankly, the restaurants that have opened recently in the
core are some of the few businesses that are coming downtown from other areas of
the city, instead of going the other way. I really don’t think we want to
prevent people like Marco Ormond, who opened the North Restaurant, from coming
downtown. So I think the restrictions should apply to those establishments that
are nightclubs and bars, not those that are fine dining restaurants. I recognize
the distinction is blurred by some places that are restaurants in the evening
but really become bars late at night, and it’s not always cut and dry, so we
will need to make sure there aren’t loopholes on restrictions.
In summary
I agree with the intent of the letter and frankly would go further than the
moratorium you’ve suggested - I'd actually be ok with a ban, or a limit on total
capacity downtown, or another equivalent permanent measure. However I really
don't agree with a city-wide moratorium on all liquor licenses, and I'm quite
sure Council will not support that, given the problems have been downtown and
not in other areas of the city. That being said, I do think Council may support
a freeze or even a ban on large club licenses downtown, and I intent to bring
that forward as early as next Monday night. A motion tonight is not possible as
3 days notice is required to have the item on the agenda. I am in communication
with the AGCO to make sure I’ve got the wording right. Tonight however, I will
raise the matter during the Inquires section of Council, so if you’d like to see
or hear the discussion, it will be around 7:30 PM I imagine, maybe a little
later.
Jeff
p.s Ben
could you pass this along to anyone on the Steering Committee that I missed, I
am missing a few of their email addresses – thanks.
Jeff
Lehman
Councillor
Ward 2
Tel:
705-739-4272
MINUTES - STEERING COMMITTEE - AUG. 17, 2010
Steering Committee
Minutes – Tuesday, August 17,2010
Present: Ben, Stephen, Sharon, Cindy, Geoff, Mike, Bryan, Jayne
Held in the Georgian Room,Barrie City Hall, at 8pm
It was discussed that while we value Jack's contributions to the Crime Prevention Committee, and realize that his motivations are good, he must let the Chair take control of the meetings, and refrain from being overly boisterous. He has been responsible for the loss of two members, when low membership is already a problem. He must respect people and the environment that he is in, or else he will be banned from attending future meetings. Low key counseling was considered the best way to deal with this situation, and it was agreed that Bryan and Stephen would speak to him.
Ben is looking into the possibility of staging a performance by himself and his choir in Hawkstone, where a part of the donations would be given to the BDNA.
Cindy suggested that we should show a presence downtown at the tree lighting ceremony in December, to tell people and answer questions about the BDNA, and have buckets available for donations. Then possibly follow up with Ben and his choir.
We need to plan events that get members actively involved, such as a well advertised fall activity, and a “Get Ready for Spring”event.
Ben made it clear that we are all equals, and that we all have one vote. We want to make sure all our publications are agreed upon by everyone, so that we appear to be professional, effective and united.
Ken has changed his domain name from barriedna.com to barriemeansbusiness.com. Because barriedna.com was too close to our own domain name “barriedna.ca”, there was a danger that the public and members may have gotten them confused.
Our strategy for our web site blog is professionalism. www.barriemeansbusiness.com is a site where people can go to express themselves and share their individual views and also sign petitions. A link exchange will be a positive and constructive way to interact with each other.
It was agreed that upon the required renewal of the domain name barriedna.com that the ownership would be transferred to the BDNA.
Questions were raised as to how to get more members involved and come out to meetings. Mike suggested that since this an election year we could contact the other groups, (East Enders & Allandale) and sponsor a candidates debate and candidate interviews. People might be motivated through self interest.
Bryan suggested that a letter be forwarded to City Council to declare a moratorium on liquor licences until it can be decided what kind of downtown we want.
It was indicated by Cindy that Long Term Planning has been less than enthusiastically supported, and since it seems to dovetail into Crime Prevention, (bars, drunks, and rowdiness) in the downtown, combined with the future development of downtown, it was decided that the two divisions should for the next while meet together.
Meeting adjourned at 9pm.
MINUTES - CRIME PREVENTION - WED. AUG 11, 2010.
Crime Prevention and Safety
Committee
Minutes - Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Present: Jack, Nick, Kelly, Ben, Ken, Stephen, Chris, Brandon, Jack, Heather,
Judy, Craig, Rose, Kelly, Karen, Mike, Elaine, Sharon
Guest: Inspector Stacy Guymer, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
- Minutes – July 14/10 meeting were approved.
2. Video Cameras Downtown - Jack
Jeff Lehman held a meeting at City Hall. Jack, Stephen, Bryan, Ben & Irene
attended from the BDNA. Janet Kemp and Craig Stevens from the BIA and
D Hossack from Barrie Police Services also attended. All agreed in principal.
The next step is the preparation of a proposal by staff to go to the Police Board
and/or the City Council. Everyone to locate information on current systems in
operation elsewhere in the Province including who monitors, and installs, how
much and who pays cost and any other details. Next meeting is in September
but with the elections in Oct. and the swearing of the new Council in December
this item may be delayed. It was suggested that the cameras be piloted on
Dunlop Street downtown first.
- Drug Paraphernalia in Barrie Stores – Kelly
Kelly has distributed the letters to local stores and is taking petitions with
her to meetings. CBC radio contacted her for an interview on the issue.
Sharon is to send copies of the letter and petition to the Allandale and East End Neighbourhood Associations.
- Email and Telephone Number of Committee members.
Everyone agreed - emails and phone #’s can be given to other Com. members.
- Super Jail Offender
Released in Barrie – Jack/Kelly
Jack will speak to Roy Randell about the effect on the Salvation Army Services. He will invite Roy to talk about this at an upcoming meeting.
Kelly Weedon has heard from Steven Small, Asst. Deputy Minister, Adult Institutional Services and Organizational Effectiveness Div. in Toronto and stated that “a response is being formulated at this time. You will receive it in the near future”. Kelly also contacted Eileen Carroll MPP, Patrick Brown, M.P., Bill Johnston (Deputy Sup. Of Program Central North Correctional Centre. No responses.
5.
Noise from Downtown Bars
Inspector Stacy Guymer, Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO)
attended our meeting. She is frequently in Barrie, visiting bars, speaking with
owners and educating staff on what to look for. She emphasized that all
“concerns/infractions” have to be documented and suggested that individuals
keep a journal - what happened, the date, time, the establishment etc.
and send it to her. See link below with process for reporting. She suggested we
make an appointment and talk with managers and/owners to see if we can work
something out. Or we could send a letter – stating who we are, were we stand,
let’s work together.
“At The Five” a hearing was held and a condition was written into their licence.
Stacey look after the outside patios, Barrie bylaw officers/police look after inside
of the establishment.
Stephen has received info from Kitchener City Hall describing their approach.
It will be discussed at a future meeting.
Link to “A Guide for Residents Objecting To A Liquor Licence Application”
(or add to existing licence)
http://www.agco.on.ca/en/contact/objections.aspx
(this is the AGCO website and there is more about the Commission)
Mike mentioned that with too many bars downtown, it is like a “ghost town”
during the day and does not attract shoppers to the area.
The Committee can find out about new licence requests in the following ways.
Establishments much post a placard and advertise in local paper to inform the
public about their application. Also checking the Circulation List on the City of
Barrie Website for new licence applications which is posted on Thursdays.
- Sexual Assault Downtown – Heather
Heather said her neighbour was sexually assaulted downtown a couple of weeks ago. It happened on a Saturday night near Casa Mia on Toronto St. She has been in touch with Sgt. Angela Butler to organize a self defense course. Some
downtown lanes and alleys are not well lit.
- Walk About in September – Stephen
Stephen suggests we have two different times – one during the day and one at night (around 11 p.m.). No dates have been set. More details at our next meeting.
- Community Clean-Up – Rose
Rose and Jeff are spearheading a clean-up of the vacant lot at the five points, next Thursday at 1 o’clock. Anyone interested can join them.
- “Night Out in the Cold” – Oct. 1, 2010.
Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness. Contact Kelly Bell for more info.
Email: Kbell@simcoecommunityservices.ca
- Meeting adjourned at 8:30,
Next Mtg. Wed. Sept. 8.10 at 7 at the
Barrie Community Health Centre
NEWS RELEASE- RE DOWNTOWN BARS
News Release Aug 18th 2010
Barrie Downtown Neighbourhood Association calls for Moratorium
on new bars in downtown core.
The Barrie Downtown Neighbourhood Association, (BDNA), will ask the city to invoke a freeze on permits to potential new bars in the downtown core until a study can be done to assess the impact on local residents and neighbourhoods. This follows a weekend that ended in tragedy for a local family as an early morning fight ensued after a visit to the entertainment district. The result being the death of a young member of our community.
A number of local residents are voicing concerns at what appears to be unprecedented growth in the number of establishments that cater to late night revelers. The increased late night noise level, combined with ongoing safety concerns and alcohol related problems causes concern that a step back is required to reassess the vision of a Dunlop Street entertainment district. The BDNA has had ongoing discussion and input from various stakeholders including the BIA, Barrie Police and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), as well as the owners of some of the licensed establishments in the downtown.
The association recognizes several positive efforts of both Barrie Police and the AGCO to monitor and control the situation during peak hours. They also recognize that a number of local licensed establishments are conscientiously working to be good corporate citizens.Unfortunately, the association sees a main street where bars are the only new businesses opening. This is further problematic in an area that has a high inventory of vacant land and empty storefronts. The further fear is that the current environment will not only dissuade new investment, but also force the remaining long time retail and service businesses out of the area causing aspiral effect on the downtown.
The BDNA’s objective is that a joint committee of all stakeholders including businesses, residents, regulatory bodies and all levels of government can meet jointly to discuss the possible solutions and recalibrate the downtown vision.
Any one wishing to contact the BDNA to express their concerns or become involved
can contact them at contact@bdna.ca
LETTER TO COUNCIL RE DOWNTOWN BARS
August18, 2010
OPENLETTER TO THE MAYOR AND ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS OF THE CITY OF BARRIE
DearSirs and Madam:
Wecontinue to experience and hear complaints involving excessive noise, drunkenrowdiness, vandalism, street fighting, rape, and most recently a fatalstabbing, with a direct correlation to the high concentration of licensedestablishments in the downtown core. In spite of the fine efforts of our citypolice, we feel the environment this creates is not in the best interest of theconstituents of our city.
It isour conclusion that we have reached or surpassed a sustainable number of liquorlicenses for late night bars and clubs in our city centre, with several pendingapplications and possible new ones on the horizon.
As a prudent response, we respectfully request,that City Council at the next available sitting, pass a resolution placing amoratorium on any and all licensed premises being established or expanded inBarrie for a minimum of six months.
During this time, we encourage public debate andthe formation of a task force consisting of citizens, police, businesses, licensing/regulatorybodies and city official and staff to explore the vision of the entertainmentdistrict and establish a mutually acceptable plan of action.
Wefeel it is imperative that this be attended to immediately to defer current andfuture pending applications until a rational and acceptable resolution isdeveloped.
Webelieve your immediate attention to this matter will be appreciated by andbeneficial to all the citizens of Barrie.
On behalf of the BarrieDowntown Neighbourhood Association
AGENDA - CRIME PREVENTION & SAFETY M EETING, AUG.11, 2010
Crime Prevention and SafetyMeeting
Wednesday, Aug. 11/10 - 7 p.m.
Agenda
Chair: Sharon
Secretary:
1. Minutes of Wed. July 14/10
2. BarNoise at Night in Downtown Barrie -Stephen
Guests: Inspector Stacy Guymer
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
and
Police Officer –Barrie Police Services
3. DrugParaphernalia in Barrie Stores – Kelly
Letters & Petition - update
- Video Cameras in Downtown Barrie
- Tues. July 27th meeting with the City, BIA and others - Jack
- Business Arising
Updates/Discussion items –
. super jail offenders released inBarrie- Jack
. trafficSigns at the 5 points intersection – Brian
6. Downtown Walk- About (Sept.) - Sharon
7. Next Meeting Date - Wed. Sept. 8/10 at 7 p.m.
Barrie CommunityHealth Centre