Winnipeg police chief surprised by recommendation police should not lead downtown safety initiatives

Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth is "still digesting" a report on downtown safety released Tuesday by the Manitoba Police Commission, but he already disagrees with the idea that police should not lead the initiative.

The report has a number of recommendations for improving downtown safety in Winnipeg, including a downtown safety communications centre and better co-ordination of downtown foot patrols — but concludes police "should not be the lead agency."

"A lot of things have gone unaddressed; they require police attention right now, in partnership with the other entities that were mentioned in the report," Smyth said on CBC Manitoba's Information Radio on Wednesday morning.

"I don't know who would be the lead in that when it comes to the training, the authority, the infrastructure, the communication — we have all of those things to enable the co-ordination and the collaboration."

Smyth, who took issue with not being invited to the news conference where the report was released, will seek clarification on the recommendation, he said.

While the argument is often made that more policing will not solve the root causes of the socio-economic problems Winnipeg is facing, and members of the Winnipeg police have said they cannot arrest their way out of them, Smyth said it is not an either-or situation.

"[The solutions] are not quick fixes. Those are generational fixes," he said.

"But in the interim, you can't just cut people's sense of security; the police play a big role in that."

At the same time, investment should be made toward solving root causes, he said.

"This place has a very different feel after-hours than it does during the day," Smyth said. "If you work and live downtown, you feel that distinction."

Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman also spoke with Information Radio Wednesday, saying the city has been seeking attention to public safety from the provincial and federal governments.

"The overall thrust of the report is … that changes are necessary," Bowman said.

"We can't keep doing the same thing and expect different results."

City officials also weren't at the news conference where the report was released, but Bowman said he was made aware of it.

Dialogue with the provincial government will continue, Bowman said.