Wide spectrum of policing issues in downtown east

Print

E-mail

Text

Fifty-five Division is one of the city's most diverse policing area with tony lakeside homes to the east and communities in transition to the west.

With those factors in mind, local law enforcement officers must deal with a wide range of policing issues in the downtown east division.

On a recent Friday night, a crew of plainclothes and uniformed officers were conducting a john sweep in Leslieville and Riverside.

The sweep was being done in response to a rash of community complaints.

"It's an issue we're trying to deal with," said Const. Rob McDonald, the division's community response officer, pointing to a woman walking along Queen Street East pulling a large, plastic wagon containing a young charge.

"(Residents) don't want this kind of activity. This is an area in transition with younger families and couples and housing costs are on the rise. People want us to help the neighbourhood shed that shady image."

Slowly circling the undercover female officers in their vehicles, this reporter witnessed two would-be johns nabbed on a recent Friday evening, near Queen St. E. and Jones Avenue. With a quick hand signal, a crew of police quickly swooped in handcuffing and leading away the accused, who were then released on their own recognizance and given a notice to appear in court.

Leslieville resident Bruce Brown was out with his young nephew and witnessed a take down just metres from where he was walking.

"I grew up around (prostitution). It's just a part of city life," he said, adding that in the eight years he's lived in the area he's seen soliciting go down.

"It's good that they (police) are keeping on top of it. I'm happy that the police are cracking down on the soliciting in the area."

Const. Lisa Cowling was one of the undercover officers involved in the sweep.

"With prostitution there's drugs, petty theft. It's just a snowball effect, a big bad cycle," she said, adding that a lot of the women soliciting sex have addictions or are in abusive situations.

"A lot of the girls involved in it are in a helpless situation. It's not a fun job. I find it really sad. Nobody wants to be out there," said Cowling.

Over in the Beach, police are in the midst of carrying out the division's annual Police and Parks Project, an initiative that aims to curb illegal activities in the local parks and public spaces. The project began in early April and will run until mid-July.

"We're using all available resources, budgetary wise. We have our full compliment of bikes out and we'll bring officers out on foot to compliment them," McDonald said.

"We want to send the message that we can't tolerate any ill behaviour in our community spaces."

Cruising around the community in an unmarked police car, McDonald with this and another local reporter tagging along approached and took note of a total of 18 youths, 16 from the Beach, illegally drinking in public parks.

"If the bottles are open then we give a caution and remove the alcohol. If they're intoxicated they're then charged or taken home at the police's discretion," he explained.

Police are also keeping an eye out for young people aged 16 to 25 who behave in a disorderly manner, vandalize the community, and commit street robberies and assaults; anything that is contrary to the criminal and municipal code and provincial statutes.