A candidate for mayor of Windsor wants to see “equal policing across the city” and has released his plan to achieve that goal if he’s elected.
During a news conference Monday outside of Windsor Police headquarters, Fred Francis detailed his plan to address safety, security, and crime reduction in the city.
If elected mayor, Francis says he would conduct a comprehensive review of police patrol coverage, staffing, and response times by neighbourhood.
He also wants visible police patrols in every neighbourhood, visible police traffic enforcement across the city, and a refocus of Windsor police on patrol and criminal investigations.
Francis says what he’s hearing is that the current level of patrols doesn’t meet the expectations and perceptions of the residents.
“You know, some people who have lived in neighbourhoods for 30-plus years say, ‘I used to see a patrolman or patrol officer all the time; I no longer see that.’ With respect to traffic enforcement, I no longer see that. I think we need to get back to that level of core policing in equal policing across the city,” he says.
Francis says what he’s asking for is an internal review to ensure equal policing across the city.
“I think the city is in need of equal policing in all the wards and all the neighbourhoods, and that’s what I’m hearing from residents; they’re no longer seeing the same level of patrol that they used to see,” he says. “It’s a matter of equal policing across the city and ensuring that the traffic enforcement, patrol, and investigation are done in a core way that supports all the different wards and all the different neighbourhoods.”
Francis says the resources will be shifted to where the need is, but we can’t forget about the other wards.
“If you have a number of officers in a certain area and the need is not there, then those officers should go out into areas where the need also exists. That’s what we’re talking about, the level of core policing, the level of core police services in equal policing across the city,” he says.
The Windsor Police Service issued a statement in response to a question from AM800 News on how patrols are determined that says, “The Windsor Police Service uses a data-driven approach to determine where patrol resources are needed most across the city. Calls for service, reported crime, location trends, and emerging public-safety concerns all help guide patrol assignments. This allows us to direct resources to areas with higher demand while continuing to provide service throughout Windsor. Deployment decisions are continually reviewed and adjusted as circumstances change.”
Francis also detailed a plan for strong and connected Windsor neighbourhoods that includes the launch of a “Light Up Windsor” campaign to install street lighting on all city streets and a commitment to provide each city councillor with $25,000 a year in ward funding to support neighbourhood-specific priorities and improvements.
The 11 candidates running for Windsor mayor are Benjamin Danyluk, Aaron Day, Drew Dilkens (incumbent), Fred Francis, Dylon Graves, Tara Grayer, Nick Kolasky, Tristan Ty Morencie, Kat Pasquach, Patrick Sutherland, and Louis Vaupotic.
The municipal election is set to take place October 26.