The end may be near for paid duty policing at Hess Village.
Hamilton’s planning committee has voted 7-2 to do away with a requirement that bars within the entertainment district pay for special duty officers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, between April and November.
Ratification of the decision will be in city council’s hands next Wednesday.
Downtown Councillor Jason Farr argues that the extra enforcement is no longer needed because of lower attendance in Hess Village.
He adds that a busy night in the district this summer would draw up to 1,500 people, compared to as many as 4,500 when the paid duty program was launched several years ago.
Farr also says that Hess Village is “evolving” to include more restaurants, in addition to nightclubs, resulting in a “more diverse” crowd.
Ward 1’s Aidan Johnson voted against Farr’s motion noting that Hess Village activity spills into his ward’s Strathcona neighbourhood causing “disruption and unhappiness.”
Hamilton Police Superintendent Will Mason has also told the planning committee that he believes the paid duty program is still needed, pointing to a “significant disturbance” this past weekend which resulted in several arrests.