The fate of the paid duty policing program in Hess Village will be front and centre when Hamilton city council meets Wednesday.
Council has the final say after the planning committee voted 7-2 last week to scrap the program, in which bars within the entertainment district pay for special duty officers.
Police Chief Eric Girt has written to councillors, urging them to keep the program going.
He indicates that rowdy behaviour in Hess Village accounts for more than half of downtown Hamilton’s police calls. There have been 675 calls in the area from January to September this year.
Farr added that the area still attracts younger crowds.
LISTEN: Jason Farr joins The Bill Kelly Show
Council is also expected to discuss a crackdown on so-called “illegal” marijuana dispensaries in Hamilton.
The owner of three such shops has argued that would be a waste of time, money and resources, suggesting they are operating within a “grey” area.