Downtown Sudbury security pilot program extended, could become permanent

The City of Greater Sudbury is extending a security pilot project which has been operating since last December.

City staff said the use of security enforcement officers Sudbury has reduced demand on police for low-priority calls, and is generating positive feedback from municipal staff and residents.

For the past 11 months, teams of two security enforcement officers have been on duty from 8:30 am to 12:30 the next morning, seven days a week. They patrol city properties, including transit buses and provide "backup and support" to security guards if there are situations that escalate, explained the city's manager of corporate services, Kevin Fowke, during a city council meeting Wednesday night. 

Fowke said the officers have more training than security guards, and are able to respond to and address situations. He said some of the training the officers received included de-escalation, use of force, Indigenous relations and mental health first aid. 

"They were trained in the provision of naloxone, they assist both police and emergency medical services," Fowke said.  

"I don't believe there's one of the six of them that has not to date been involved in a lifesaving event in the downtown and in particular in the [Memorial] Park."

'Adds a level of safety' 

Fowke said there has been a "significant decrease" in low priority calls to police since the security enforcement officers have been on the job. 

When it comes to responding to issues on city buses, Sudbury's director of transit services, Brendan Adair, said he has heard "extremely positive" feedback. 

"We experience as a staff sometimes some challenging conversations. Imagine that conversation on a bus when that police response sometimes as prioritized isn't coming," Adair said. 

"This program allows for our response for our bus operators. This program allows for our response for the public both reactive and proactively. And with that adds a level of safety and a perception of safety for this service."

The officers also took on other roles during the pilot, including providing assistance at some mass vaccination clinics, and assisting paramedics during a COVID-19 outbreak while they did door-to-door testing.

Program could become permanent 

As well as extending the pilot project through the end of 2021, city council will also consider making the program permanent. Staff will prepare a business case to be considered during upcoming budget deliberations.

A number of city councillors spoke in favour of the program, and the importance of making it permanent. 

"This is not the Sudbury of 10 years ago. This is not the Sudbury of 20 years ago. And to come to grips with that is exactly the conversation we're having today," said Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann. 

"These services must be in place in order to ensure that our residents are feeling safe."