Dynamic Patrols return to the Sault

Police in Sault Ste. Marie say a foot patrol initiative is yielding positive results in the city's downtown.

Visitors to Queen Street and the surrounding area should notice an increased police presence until next Friday, said Sault Ste. Marie Chief of Police Hugh Stevenson.

“Visibility of officers tends to deter crime,” he said.

That's why a new session of the ‘Dynamic Patrol’ initiative began.

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Officers like Const. Sherri Maguire are on foot throughout the community, particularly through areas that have high incident rates.

She speaks with business owners and those who frequent the area, to get an understanding of issues they may not know about.

“I get their personal opinion, whether it be specific to their own establishment, or it’s just the entire downtown core, so that I can relay those concerns to other officers on the road, to our superiors, to our management,” said Maguire.

The Downtown Association's Salvatore Marchese said it is something many storeowners and stakeholders had been requesting.

“It gives them the idea, like someone’s here to listen to my concerns and address issues that I might have,” said Marchese.

“They may not always communicate those by calling police, but by somebody coming in and saying ‘Please tell me what’s on your mind’ they can get those items addressed.”

Const. Sherri Maguire heading into a business in the Sault's downtown to discuss any concerns for the area with the operators. (Cory Nordstrom/CTV News Northern Ontario)Maguire told CTV News that the police just want people to feel safe, "I think that our presence helps them feel that way.”

Officers are offered overtime to cover these ‘Dynamic Patrols,’ said Stevenson adding that uptake is good with most shifts filled.

The cost of the initiative is paid for through a mix of provincial grants, and the police services’ budget.

The last session saw 24 provincial offence notices issued, along with 16 by-law fines and 4 arrests.

By being out in the community, officers were able to respond quickly to 2 major incidents, including a shooting on Wellington Street.

Chief Stevenson told CTV News that there are a number of benefits to the initiative.

“If there’s vagrancy issues, if there’s overdose situations, if there’s theft occurrences, we’ll deal with those, in addition to increasing our visibility,” he said.

“So the people in this community, when they come to the downtown core, they’re going to see more of us at different times.”