George Street violence actually declining, RNC says as rally nears
Police say violence has decreased on St. John's famous George Street even though an anti-violence rally has been planned for the weekend.
The rally came together after an alleged assault last week generated a lot of attention on social media and discussion about the dangerous nature of the popular downtown bar street.
"Our calls for service to the George Street area have been consistent over the last four or five years," he said.
"But the instance of fights and assaults, by the numbers, are considerably down since the cameras have been installed."
Video cameras were installed in 2011 to help police get better evidence for crimes that take place on the street.
"Since [2011] we have seen decrease in numbers for calls of service with regards to adult assaults, fights, that type of behaviour," Curnew said.
"One of the issues officers face when responding to calls is finding a sober witness. And with the cameras, that is our silence over witness — the cameras will tell all."
"2014 was probably our lowest since having the cameras installed."
Public misconception about violence on George Street
Curnew said it's very rare for violent acts on George Street to be random since most of the time the people involved know each other.
He said in 2010, the RNC responded to 60 fights on the street, and 37 assaults. In 2014, only 26 fights were reported.
With the number of violent acts down considerably on the street, Curnew said the viral nature of the recent post on Facebook about assault is likely what spurred the upcoming anti-violence rally.
"The fact that it was brought to social media is probably what is drawing a greater light to it at this time," he said.
Joshua Dawson, also known as the Experience Genie, said he and his fiancée were beaten early in the morning of June 12.
Police, however, said that injuries sustained in the incident were minor.
The police investigation into the complaint is continuing.