Arrests increase 38% in Glengarry neighbourhood

Police initiative at 333 Glengarry Ave., in Windsor, Ont. (Source: Windsor police)

Windsor police say violent crime is down in the Glengarry neighbourhood after launching a police initiative last month.

On Aug. 10, police started a high-visibility initiative to support an enhanced community safety strategy by reducing serious crime in the 300 and 400 blocks of Glengarry Avenue.

“While the Windsor Police Service is taking proactive steps to improve community safety in the Glengarry neighbourhood, a data-driven cross-sectoral strategy is needed to better address the societal issues that drive violent crime,” said Chief Jason Bellaire. “We are looking to community partners in health and human services for the necessary actions towards solutions that address the root causes of crime and social disorder, and to facilitate access to appropriate support services.”

Conducted in response to ongoing concerns from both residents and the Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation, this initiative aims to stop crime before it happens and proactively respond to issues by having more officers present in the neighbourhood.

In the four weeks since the launch of this initiative, officers have maintained a sustained presence in the area. Over that time, only one violent crime incident has been reported to police.

This represents a sharp decline compared to the first seven months of the year, when police responded to a total of 28 violent crimes in the neighbourhood – an average of four violent incidents each month.

Arrests in the 300 and 400 blocks of Glengarry have also increased by 38.8 per cent since the start of the initiative. These results include 24 arrests made during a two-day operation on Aug. 20 and 21, when officers laid 48 criminal charges and executed 10 outstanding warrants.

“We want to ensure that people who reside in and visit the Glengarry neighbourhood feel safe and know that we are doing all we can to respond to their concerns,” said Jason Crowley, Deputy Chief of Operations. “We also want to build better connections with residents through different engagement strategies, knowing that better relationships can help to reduce crime and improve community safety.”

As part of this initiative, the Windsor Police Service, Family Services Windsor-Essex (FSWE), and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) have established an office space directly inside the apartment complex at 333 Glengarry Ave.

The Windsor Police City Centre Patrol (CCP) team, Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) Unit, Nurse Police Team (NPT) and Crisis Response Team (CRT), will all operate out of this space to support our health and human services partners to more effectively respond to situations involving mental health, substance abuse, and social disorder.