Downtown Sudbury business owners making efforts to stay safe, despite dropping crime numbers

Greater Sudbury Police say an increase in foot patrols has helped reduce crime rates in the city's downtown core, even as business owners struggle to find ways to make the neighbourhood feel safer.

Police spokesperson Kaitlyn Dunn told CBC News that from June 1 to July 12, there has been a "notable decrease" in reported incidents from the same period last year.

That includes a 43 per cent drop in break and enters, and a 40 per cent drop in shoplifts. Thefts and mischiefs have also decreased, at rates of 17 and 16 per cent, respectively, Dunn said.

The drop may be related to an increase in foot patrols. Dunn added that over the same period, officers conducted 412 focused patrols on foot, bike or in a cruiser. 

"This is a 168 per cent increase to the number of focused patrols downtown in comparison to the same time period last year," Dunn said. 

Meanwhile, businesses in Sudbury's downtown core are taking matters into their own hands, as the neighbourhood continues to be plagued by the perception of being dangerous and bad for business.

Kalene Snider, esthetician at Serendipity Day Spa, said the store has had to add a lock door system, which keeps people – "visitors", Snider calls them – outside until a staff member permits through.

"Before that, I didn't really like coming down here," Snider said. "It's nerve racking. Sometimes people aren't aren't very nice. They come right at you and they'll come and grab anything."

That includes theft of their tip jar.

"It's gotten worse since I've started working downtown, since the pandemic," Snider said. "Just a lot of visitors now are not really nice." 

Syliva Rios, owner of La Casa Mexicana, woke to a phone call at 4 a.m. on Thursday. Police were on the line, saying a man broke through the restaurant's front window, grabbing the cash register before fleeing.

Police quickly caught the suspect, but Rios said the time has come for business owners, police and city politicians to sit down and hash out a plan to keep the area cleaner, safer, and good for business.

"I've been here in Sudbury almost 20 years," Rios said, noting that this is the first time her store has seen an incident. 

 "I love my Sudbury. I love my community and I love downtown."

"Now, I would like to see politicians or the police or the mayor or somebody representing us, to come downtown and try to fix the problem as a community."

Gary Robichaud, owner of Robi's Legacy Furnishings, said he has seen a lot of changes to the downtown core in the last two years, and not all of them positive.

"You have people walking in and out of the store, sometimes that really shouldn't be," Robichaud said. "I've had my door windows smashed, my cameras, my inside doors."

But he said that small improvements, like beautifying the neighbourhood, would go along way toward rebuilding people's trust in the area.

"Lights. Bright lights. Light it up." Robichaud said. "Light gives you life, I believe. I noticed a lot of the downtown lights are very dull, which creates a dullness atmosphere." 

"Whereas in Las Vegas, you've got bright lights. Lights shining, You see Vegas lights, and away you go."