Recent changes by Winnipeg police are intended to reduce violence in the city, but one local activist says he’s not sure the new strategy – which includes temporarily closing district police stations – is the best way to tackle the problem.
Michael Redhead Champagne, who runs the “Meet Me at the Bell Tower” community group, said reassigning officers from traffic and community relations divisions and moving them to the front lines isn’t addressing the root problem.
“In the absence of having systemic support, the community is trying the best we can, but we’re really struggling still,” Champagne told 680 CJOB. “I would recommend they go back to the community and ask what community members need.
“I bet you the community’s not going to say we need more enforcement. They’re going to say we need more relationship-building and we need more prevention.”
Three district stations in the north, east and west ends of the city temporarily closed to the public on Monday as part of the realignment.
The current climate in Winnipeg feels like 2011 – the year that saw the highest number of homicides in the city ever, said Champagne. “It’s a record Winnipeg is likely to break in 2019 if the violence continues through the end of the year.”
“I know that the police talked about pulling back on some of their resources like community resources… because they want those officers to be on foot patrol,” he said.
“But I think it’s very important for us to talk about how police officers are well-positioned to help build relationships and prevent violence from happening in the community.”
In light of the recent murder of three-year-old Hunter Haze Straight Smith, Champagne said both police and community members need to examine the way protection orders are enforced, as well as how domestic violence is dealt with in Winnipeg.
“I implore the citizens of Winnipeg to think about what we can do as a community as a society to help people who are affected by domestic violence – victims, perpetrators, families that are affected, communities that are affected.”
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