The Windsor Police Service says the cost of policing events is in the best interest of public safety.
Downtown Windsor has shut streets down every weekend in August for years, but after the cost grew from hundreds of dollars per-business to thousands for the month, businesses began to stop participating
As reported by AM800 News, Mike Lambros of Lefty's on Ouellette Ave. near Park St. says more and more bars dropped out every year.
He says the Special Events Resource Team or "SERT" became involved in the event around 2015, the price skyrocketed from $3,000 to nearly $8,000.
That cost was split between three businesses, then two, and now no one wants to pay, he says.
The SERT team determines what safety and security measures are required for an event.
Changes in what is required to host an event have taken place, but Sgt. Steve Betteridge says public safety is the primary concern.
"It's moved forward quite a bit from how it was in years past. When Somebody applies for a special event permit, that goes to the city of Windsor. The Windsor police will asses that application and make a determination as to how many officers, if any, would be required as a dedicated officer," he says.
Lambros says the price jump from added Windsor Police personnel is too much for everyone to absorb.
Betteridge says a law enforcement representative is a member of the committee to advise SERT on what is needed for a large gathering on a case by case basis.
"They would evaluate the nature of the event, if there's alcohol at the event, the estimated numbers of people in attendance, the event history, do they have any other security, whether it's private security or volunteers or chaperons on hand. Anything along those lines," he says.
Off duty officers are paid for a minimum of three hours, according to the Windsor police web-page.
Constables receive a minimum of $208, then $69 for each additional hour. Sergeants receive a minimum of $254.40, and $85 for each additional hour.
Vehicles dedicated to an event cost a minimum of $60, and $20 for each additional hour in use at an event.
But some bar owners on Ouellette Ave. are left asking why they need to pay for dedicated policing when patrols are downtown in force on weekends already.
Betteridge told AM800 News police distribute resources accordingly and any event that could draw on those resources could be charged for additional policing.
"We dedicate our resources accordingly depending on what's going on in the city at any given time whether it's something that's happening where patrol officers are responding or more controlled situations when it's properly planned and that's what we're dealing with here," he says.
Betteridge would not comment on the exact number of police in the downtown core during peak hours on weekends, but did tell AM800 News there is an increased police presence.