ST. PAUL – Businesses face increasing challenges with loitering in the Town of St. Paul, according to the St. Paul & District Chamber of Commerce, and have collaborated with the St. Paul RCMP to find ways to address the issue.
On July 3, the chamber sent out an email to businesses, encouraging them to write a letter outlining their concerns with loitering, the impacts on their businesses, and their safety concerns as part of the community.
In the letter, Sgt. Robert Burgess noted that 526 calls for service were documented in the St. Paul downtown core, between 7-11 and the Elite Theater, since March 2023. “This translates to roughly 263-394 hours of policing resources that have been spent combating the vagrancy problem. This isn’t including proactive patrols or non-documented interactions with the vagrants.”
Burgess told Lakeland This Week in a follow-up interview that the increase of criminal activity in the downtown core also includes assault, assault with weapons, and mischief to businesses like spray painting or breaking windows.
The RCMP also received a report of a general member of the public who was allegedly sexually assaulted by someone at 7-11 while they were walking into the store, said Burgess. “It’s not just the substance abuse that has been a chronic issue for St. Paul. It... escalated into those other criminal offenses.”
Not from the area
RCMP are quoted in the chamber letter indicating many of the individuals causing issues, “are NOT homeless and make the conscious decision to drink and substance abuse in the area.” The focus of the joint chamber-RCMP partnership is on loitering not homelessness, and no correlation is being drawn between the two.
When asked where the majority of the individuals come from in a follow-up interview, Burgess said many of them come from other communities. “A lot of them are from all over the place.”
Addressing the issue
According to Burgess, the RCMP recognizes the loitering problem is not only a safety concern for businesses but also the public, “and we proactively started a project in effort to combat the issue.”
The initiative that began in May, is an active approach by the RCMP to deal with cases such as public intoxication, said Burgess. The RCMP saw more than 50 open alcohol and public intoxication tickets written, and numerous criminal charges were laid, “in relation to proactive work and complaints” received from the public.
In the letter to businesses, RCMP are quoted as saying, “Part of that project is to ensure the judicial system is aware of the community impact including loss of business, public safety concerns and realization that this is much more than just simple substance abuse affecting the person involved.”
Increase of substance abuse problems
The issue of loitering and vagrancy has increased due also to the increase of substance abuse, according to Burgess. In 2007, “There used to be four or five individuals that we would deal with... [and] now there could be 15 to 20 that we’re dealing with in a weekly basis.”
He recognized that substance abuse is a problem throughout North America, noting methamphetamine use as a specific example. Dealing with drug and alcohol addictions is “unfortunately not something the RCMP,” are trained to deal with. “We’re police officers and we try to maintain public safety and do the best we can do to make people safe,” he said.
“I think there’s also that expectations on us that we can fix a lot of problems that maybe are beyond our control... and that’s not things that a lot of my members are trained to do,” said Burgess, adding that the RCMP, however, do provide information to people of resources they may need. “That was one of the goals of the project... we’ve even offered rides,” to addiction services, and set up appointments for people dealing with substance abuse.
“I’ll be honest... we’re not seeing a lot of people departing from the detachment anyways [that are] taking advantage of those opportunities. A lot of them seem like they either are not ready for help, or they don’t want the help that’s offered to them.”
Many of the chronic policing issues go back to substance abuse, said Burgess, “and to be honest, we’re not going to enforce our way out of the problem.” Getting people dealing with substance abuse the help they need is necessary, he said.
Crown and Judge
Chamber executive director Yvonne Weinmeier noted in the email to businesses that the more letters of concerns submitted by businesses – the better. In order, “to show the Crown and Judge this isn’t just one business with concerns but a significant chronic problem that needs to be addressed."
Burgess said the community needs to show the Crown and the justice system that the issue is not a one-off case of nuisance – like someone drinking on the side of the street. “It’s a more significant problem than that.”
Not only is the concern of vagrancy and loitering a problem for businesses, but also to the general public, reiterated Burgess. “There’s people that are scared to get out of their vehicle and walk on Main Street. As a result, [businesses are] obviously losing revenue,” he said.
Letter’s purposes
The purpose of the letter to businesses is to urge them to come forward and have their complaints and concerns recorded in print.
“We all tend to complain about a lot of things, but when it comes to putting it down on paper, [or] if it comes to us having to lay a criminal charge, and [if] we ask for a statement from certain individuals – they’re apprehensive about doing that.”
In part this may be due to people not wanting to get involved with the court system, said Burgess. “That was the whole purpose of the letter going out. It’s to say, ‘Listen, if this is a problem, please make it aware to us and put in writing or call us and let us know.”
The information from the business letters can also be used by the RCMP, “especially for the prolific offenders that are causing the majority of the issues in the downtown." Of convicted of an offense, “obviously, that can be taken into consideration during sentencing.”
Weinmeier echoed the sentiment, stating the intent of the letter is ensuring businesses are provided a safe avenue to express their concerns. She added the biggest concern is when offenders are apprehended, go to court, and then are released the same day.
“We can’t keep doing the same thing and expect a different result, right?” she said. “So, we’re hoping that with the impact of the businesses collaborating together, that the Crown and the Judge will see that this is a crisis situation.”
Weinmeier said the Chamber hopes a different disciplinary action be taken moving forward, whether it be rehabilitation, or other consequences for the crimes that are being committed. This includes smaller offenses like public intoxication. “They’re not always getting maybe disciplined to the level that is going to stop them from repeated actions.”
When will the letters be sent?
Weinmeier said the Chamber is in the process of compiling the letters. “I’m receiving them daily and I’ve gotten quite a few already.” Some of the letters are “alarming,” she said.
“It’s just absolutely heartbreaking really, to see that these businesses are struggling with this... [and] considering maybe closing their doors because of it. They have to check their premises. They can’t be there alone. They lock their doors during the day.”
The Chamber is also receiving letters from residents as well. “Their children play in parks, and they have to go and check the parks for drug paraphernalia,” said Weinmeier.
Beyond the Crown and the Judge
Town of St. Paul Mayor Maureen Miller said the hope is also that the Chamber and the RCMP’s initiative will draw attention from provincial and federal politicians who can assist “in creating some policy changes to help not just the crime.”
Miller believes crime is generally caused by dependencies on drugs or alcohol. So, she believes there is a need for greater attention for wraparound services with regard to mental health and other support services within not only the community, but provincially and federally as well.
She is also hopeful the local action will spread beyond the Lakeland. “This will be a nationwide Chamber initiative (that) I’m sure [will] create some type of inertia within the federal government to make some changes.”
Friendship Centre hopes to host town meeting
Hinano Rosa, executive director of the Mannawanis Friendship Centre, said he hopes to host a town meeting about the issue, which would include clarifying the definitions of the words stated in the chamber letter to businesses, including the definition of homelessness. The chamber letter specifically notes the concerns are around loitering and vagrancy.
Rosa recognized that vagrancy, as defined by the letter, is an issue which also affects Mannawanis. He said people are afraid to go to the food bank, for example. “So, a lot of information there is accurate... on how businesses and organizations are being affected, including ours.”
“I don’t think there is a quick or an ultimate solution." However, he suggested there are steps that can be taken to address the issues, such as bringing liquor stores to the table. “People that are intoxicated shouldn’t have the opportunity to continue to purchase more alcohol.”
Also, Rosa warned that more people are increasingly using heroin and crystal methamphetamine, and there are reports of needles spotted around the community.
Rosa also shared his concerns that there are homeless women in the community, putting themselves at huge risk. “We have five adults who carry the potential to be found dead on the streets at any time,” not only due to substance abuse issues, but also medical issues.
He said other communities and organizations need to be involved in the discussion around homelessness and substance abuse, too. “This is a community thing. The RCMP cannot carry the brunt of this all by themselves. They need help.”
Goal
Burgess said ultimately the goal is to get the people the help they need and support them in reaching those supports required, in effort to kick their substance abuse habits.
“I strongly believe as a community we are all very sympathetic to addictions, however when those addictions lead to affecting others’ livelihoods and making others victims, we need to balance that sympathy with accountability,” said Burgess.
“The community needs to know the RCMP are doing all we can with the resources and tools we are given. We are not addictions counsellors, mental health workers or clinicians, and the majority of those that we are dealing with require those supports to make changes in their lives.”
