By Dominic Abassi

Nanaimo business owner ‘aghast’ after downtown security patrols ended; Council reinstates service

Nov 28, 2017 | 4:33 PM

NANAIMO — Security patrols are returning to downtown Nanaimo after councillors were apparently caught off guard by the fact they ever stopped.

On Monday night, Council passed a motion to reinstate the hired security in response to ongoing concerns around public safety. The motion came after Victoria Crescent Association president Kevan Shaw implored Council to take action.

“Our downtown needs the help, it needs it now. We need some action now, some boots on the ground….No more talk, no more sandwiches, no more coffees,” Shaw said.

Shaw told NanaimoNewsNOW he, other downtown business owners and even bylaw officers were “shocked” to find out the security patrols would end, instead of lasting until the end of the year like they’d thought. He said he found out about the change on Nov. 22 from one of the Footprints employees, two days after he raised the issue of downtown security with Council at a Nov. 20 meeting.

“I don’t know anything about that or any rationale or reasons, sorry,” counc. Bill Bestwick said after Shaw told him Monday night the patrols ended.

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In June, council approved $25,000 for downtown security. A staff report said the money would come from Council’s contingency fund and estimated it would last until the end of September.

On Sept. 14, the Finance and Audit Committee approved another $25,000 to continue the short term solution to what Shaw described as an increase in lawlessness, drug use and even public defecation in the downtown core. The recommendation was to come before Council for final approval on Oct. 2, however the item was removed from the agenda.

On Nov. 15, NanaimoNewsNOW submitted a media request to the City asking if the funding was ever approved or spent and what the status of the downtown security was. No answers were provided until a third request on Tuesday.

On Monday night, chief administrative officer Tracy Samra told Council the budget for security guards ran out and there’s not enough money in a specific budget for them to be hired until the end of the year. Later in the debate, Samra said she checked with chief financial officer Victor Mema and money was available.

Samra was asked by NanaimoNewsNOW why the Finance and Audit Committee’s recommendation was pulled from the October agenda, if it was known at the time there was a budget shortfall, if the extended funding was ever put in place, when it ran out or if anyone, including Council or downtown associations, were aware the patrols ended.

In an email on Tuesday, she said “I do not know the specific answers to your questions at this time.

“I plan on meeting with the relevant directors this week to discuss what operational decisions may be made to address the concerns raised by Mr. Shaw and to identify an appropriate budget and implementation plan for security in the short term while we take steps to carry out Council’s direction for a task force,” Samra said.

Coun. Sheryl Armstrong said an email late last week from Shaw was her first notice the security ended.

Coun. Bill Bestwick said in an email he was not aware of any direction or request to cut the security. “I suspect that the security has been in place, otherwise how could Footprints be removed if the motion back in September was to provide?”

No dollar amount was attached to the motion to reinstate the security and it’s unclear when the patrols will resume.

dom@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @domabassi