RNC, community groups say police foot patrols won't make downtown St. John's safer

Some members of St. John's city council are calling for police foot patrols in downtown St. John's in response to safety concerns, but the deputy chief of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says it may not be the best use of police resources.

RNC Deputy Chief Colin McNeil says officers have to prioritize the most urgent service calls, and assigning officers to patrol downtown on foot could increase response times.

"Foot patrols are not the best use of resources, I have to be honest," McNeil said on Friday. "There have been studies that have been shown, in fact, that foot patrols may improve the perception of safety, but they don't actually reduce the occurrences of crime."

In a recent city staff report summarizing feedback on the Water Street pedestrian mall, residents and businesses identified safety as a top concern. Over the past two years, business owners and musicians have complained about robberies and assaults in the downtown area, especially late at night.

Last week, mayor Danny Breen said the city would be hiring additional private security for this year's downtown pedestrian mall — but he believes more RNC officers would be a better solution.

McNeil says the RNC already conducts marked and covert vehicle patrols in the downtown area, in addition to other strategies. McNeil says the RNC have received more service calls as crime has gone up, but there hasn't been a particular spike in the downtown area — and calls remained stable from 2023 to 2024.

"Downtown St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador itself, is a very safe place to live, raise a family, to enjoy the outdoors, do whatever activities that your family and friends are interested in doing," he said.

McNeil says officers often interact with people dealing with issues like poverty, mental health and homelessness.

"It's very important that we don't stigmatize that person. We don't criminalize that person and then we make sure that we help and we assist that person to get the right services that they need," he said.

The RNC does have the resources it needs to ensure public safety says McNeil. This year's provincial budget included funding for 10 new frontline RNC officers for the northeast Avalon region.

Dire conditions

Bridget Clarke, advocacy co-ordinator with the St. John's Status of Women Council, says resources would be better directed toward homelessness, intimate partner violence, health care and mental health services rather than additional policing.

"People are living in obviously really dire conditions where access to basic resources are scarce," she said. "That will create conditions of violence or of danger or lack of resources that can kind of be a real breeding ground for lack of safety."

Clarke says an increased police presence doesn't necessarily equal increased safety for everyone.

"That includes 2SLGBTQIA folks, that include sex workers, survivors of violence and people of colour who are statistically over-policed and criminalized," she said.

The St. John's Status of Women Council operates several services for vulnerable women, including a managed alcohol program and an outreach program for sex workers.

Thrive, a community organization based in downtown St. John's, launched a downtown street outreach program last year with funding from the city.

Angela Crockwell, executive director of Thrive, says the program's two support workers have helped people find affordable housing, connect with addiction services and access health care.

"That can really then start to shift what people are experiencing and their vulnerability and I think those are the long term solutions," she said.

Crockwell pointed out the city's report on the downtown pedestrian mall includes feedback supporting the continuation of the street reach program.

"People's concerns around safety are very valid, but I think there's also this recognition of the complex social issues that are making people really, really vulnerable."

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