Representatives from the Old City Quarter presented their own plan to the City of Nanaimo about how to handle issues they view as critical. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Spencer Sterritt

social disorder

Trial program grappling with Old City Quarter social disorder now underway

Jun 23, 2020 | 5:39 AM

NANAIMO — A six month trial of increased security and cleaning measures in the Old City Quarter is now approved.

Nanaimo city council unanimously approved the $195,000 trial program during their Monday, June 22 meeting.

For the next six months, three security officers will patrol the streets within the area north of the downtown core. They’ll patrol from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day.

Darren Moss with the Old City Quarter Business Improvement Association, said they viewed overnight patrols as a way to prevent problems from arising the following day when shoppers and tourists are in the area.

“The activity that happens at about 10 p.m. downtown, it’s shocking. It’s like it comes alive and the city does a bit of a transformation,” he told councillors on Monday.

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“What we’re finding through our residents is that’s the time to get ahead of the problem.”

Moss, who’s involved with the Cardea rental apartment building on the corner of Wallace and Franklyn St., said the program is needed because the social disorder in the area has increased significantly in the last two months.

“When COVID hit we had all of our ground floor suites rented with people who were quite comfortable living downtown. About two months into COVID we had three or four of them reach out and say ‘If you don’t get us an inside unit within the next month we’re gone.'”

Moss said some business owners in the Old City Quarter are now actively trying to break their leases to get away from the deteriorating situation.

When asked about the officers, Moss told councillors he envisions them as more than a security guard.

“The safety officer, in my mind, has the ability to resolve situations without getting into force and has the ability to help people who aren’t security concerns.”

Which security firm is contracted wasn’t specified.

A call centre to handle concerns from business owners and tenants will also be established. It will be operated by a company on the East coast.

This call centre isn’t designed to replace 911, Moss stressed.

Instead, it will guide concerned callers to the property authorities and ensure they feel heard.

Cleanliness sweeps done by a program with the John Howard Society of Nanaimo will also increase.

The framework provided by business owners in the Old City Quarter and expanded upon by City of Nanaimo staff came together in recent weeks.

Moss said he understands concerns downtown core businesses could be concerned their issues aren’t being addressed.

“I would say we have to start somewhere. The ideal scenario is we can expand the program to be more wholesome. But for a group of private owners to try to run this as volunteers and collect a levy or funding, we couldn’t find a way to achieve that across the whole downtown.”

The Old City Quarter Business Improvement Association is covering 30 per cent of the program cost. The City of Nanaimo is funding the remaining 70 per cent from the Strategic Infrastructure Reserve Fund.

Coun. Zeni Martmaan said she hopes data from the trial will help inform and guide their larger efforts against social disorder and homelessness.

“We can’t wait on federal or provincial governments. We cannot do much in our City, but what little we can do we should be helping out citizens and businesses.”

Coun. Don Bonner agreed but expressed concern council was approving more money as a reaction to an issue.

“I think it’s necessary in terms of where we are but I don’t think in the long-term it makes sense. I’d much rather see this money spent on proactive programs that actually deal with the root problem and help move things along in our society.”

In late May, Nanaimo’s council approved $187,000 to fully fund a Social Disorder Response Team until the end of the year.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @SpencerSterritt