An initiative targeting violent crime in Osborne Village has resulted in numerous arrests since it was launched in July, police say.
Since July 24, the Osborne Village Violent Crime Initiative has redirected police resources to the area, with uniformed and plainclothes officers responding to occurrences and checking on area offenders’ bail compliance.
Mridul Vohra, who owns Freshslice Pizza at River and Osborne, says he’s noticed a slight decrease in crime to his business over the summer, but violent incidents persist.
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“Maybe I can say there is less trouble, but as soon as they notice there’s no one patrolling right now, then they came back on the street,” he said.
Osborne Village BIZ Executive Director Zohreh Gervais says enforcement is just one way to improve safety in the neighbourhood.
“We would really like to find a way to look at these issues with a wider lens, because we would really like to deal with some of the underlying issues,” she said, adding reaction among area businesses to the increased patrols is mixed.
Watch the video above to hear the outcomes of the targeted enforcement since the initiative’s start.
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