Windsor mayor wants 12 new police officers downtown to battle addiction-related crime

A special unit with a dozen police officers could hit the streets of downtown Windsor.

Mayor Drew Dilkens is proposing something called a "Problem Oriented Policing" unit. He said he's disturbed by an uptick in property and violent crime in the city's core.

"To the extent that there are folks that are addicted causing issues, folks that are addicted that are committing petty crimes to feed the addiction, we want to stop that," he said.

"It's basically dealing with some of the property nuisance issues that we see, obviously some of the violent crime, and people should feel safe in their communities. Just because you're addicted does not give you a license to commit crime."

Dilkens said he has looked at the stats for crime in the city and would like to have the 12 full-time officers dedicated, for now, to the downtown core. It'll be at a cost of $1.2 to $1.4 million to taxpayers. 

"I think anyone who works downtown can see on a daily basis some of the challenges that we're experiencing as a result of mental health, the opioid and drug addiction issues and sometimes the intersection of both," he said.

"What I don't want is for people to feel unsafe in their own community, and I want to address this as quickly as possible."

Dilkens said the proposal will be considered by the police services board before coming to city council. He adds he would be "shocked" if there was any pushback from councillors. 

Addictions support gap

"As a health professional, I don't believe that's the appropriate first response of our community," said Janice Kaffer, president and CEO of Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH).

"I believe the appropriate first response of our community is to really say what treatment resources are available and how do we encourage more." 

Kaffer said there's a lack of support for those dealing with addictions in Windsor, but said she understands why the mayor is looking at the option. 

"I think the gap is not just downtown. I think as a region we have a real gap in our community when it comes to treatment resources for addictions and folks who are dealing with addictions," she said. "From a health perspective we look at addictions as an illness that needs to be treated."

HDGH runs the Withdrawal Management Program, a 20-bed non-medical program where men and women 16 years of age or older can withdraw from the effects of drugs or alcohol. 

But Kaffer said once those individuals leave the program, they could wait two days for a residential treatment placement.

"That to me is one of the biggest problems we have in our community, a lack of coordinated and integrated addiction treatment resources."

Kaffer said she is hoping to close that gap by having inpatient services at HDGH.