A city councillor wants to see what more can be done to address issues surrounding open-air drug use.
Ward 3 councillor Renaldo Agostino says he wants to look at what other municipalities around the province are doing to deal with drug use on city streets.
Agostino says he's currently in talks with Windsor Police to see if they are planning on implementing new strategies, and he says he's planning on bringing this issue up at a future city council meeting to have administration look into what other municipalities are doing.
Other communities across Ontario, including Sarnia and London, have stepped up their efforts to clean up open drug use by focusing on engagement, intervention and outreach.
He says the Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hub - or the HART Hub - will make a big difference once it opens to the public, but that things need to be done now to address the problem.
Agostino says he wants to make sure the city is doing all they can.
"We want to make sure that the quality of life for citizens in this city continues to get better - not worse. And sometimes when I see some of the things that I see, and I hear some of the things that I hear, it's upsetting, and I get upset, and residents get upset, and it's just not the way forward. So, we've got to figure out a better way."
He says this is not just a police issue.
"We're not going to arrest our way out of this, and this isn't just going to be a police thing, this is an everybody thing," Agostino says. "But clearly we can see that other communities are starting to do different things, as drastic as sometimes arresting, but most of the time it's done with compassion. They're telling people where they can't be using substances."
He says while the HART Hub will be great for the city, they need solutions now.
"I think the HART Hub is going to be another tool in the toolkit, another resource for people that need it, and another place for people to go when they're experiencing addiction issues, and I think it's going to be fantastic. We just need it today. We need to get moving on this stuff and make sure that we have more tools, and that's what this is all about."
Windsor Police tells CTV Windsor that while a formal enforcement blitz hasn't been done that officers are strategically placed around the city where they're needed.
In terms of the HART Hub, an exact opening date hasn't been set, but the facility is expected to be operational sometime this summer. Hiring for staff at the Hub started in mid-May.
HART Hubs will focus on those aged 16 and older who are experiencing homelessness and seeking help with addiction or mental health challenges.
-with files from CTV Windsor's Bob Bellacicco