Timmins city council agrees to hire security firm to boost safety

In the past few years, downtown business owners in Timmins have resorted to installing bars on their storefront windows, increasing surveillance and locking their doors to prevent crime.

At the end of last year, the Downtown Timmins BIA turned to council for help and asked if the city would hire a security guard to patrol businesses.

In response, city council is hiring a security guard from Pads K9 Protection and Detection Services. The amount council approved was $136,000 and the owner of Pads K9 Protection and Detection doesn’t want to comment until he's been officially notified by the city and the contract has been signed.

“It’s a one-person patrol as they go through the community,” said Timmins CAO Dave Landers.

“This is a security patrol. Its job is just to keep an eye out and identify issues to the police.”

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Most councillors said that it's a start.

"It's turned into, for lack of a better word, one dude who's gonna’ drive across the entire city to try and keep and eye on things,” said Coun. Cory Robin.

“I think that's insufficient and I might have to come back with another request for the BIA specifically ... I'm OK to start this, ‘cause we need to start something, get at least one pair of boots on the ground, so to speak, as opposed to none."

The contract begins next month. Patrols will take place from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.