Former police chief calls CCTV a small solution for a big problem

When it comes to adding CCTV cameras to the ByWard Market, it seems everyone has an opinion, including the former chief of police. 

Senator Vern White was this city's top cop at a time when there were turf battles between crack cocaine dealers in the ByWard Market. 

He explained to 1310 NEWS that he went about dealing with the drugs and gangs by giving more attention to communities and focusing on those dealing the drugs. 

White feels that CCTV cameras can be helpful from a investigative perspective, but there is a bigger issue. 

“I think this will be a very small solution for a big problem and I think it will take a much bigger strategy than that to deal with what we're seeing down (in the ByWard Market).” 

After spending some time at the Ottawa Inner City Health Supervised Consumption Site last week, White said he recognized where many of the issues were coming from. 

“The people who are doing that are the same people who are killing addicts now downtown. The same people who are floating opioids or floating fentanyl across the city. I think you're going to attack it, absolutely more officers targeted towards the drug dealers would help.” 

The former chief says there needs to be a high level strategy, that spans several years and different issues to help combat the problems with violence, drugs and gangs. 

“I think CCTV cameras would help, I think more programs in those communities (would help)”, White explained. “So I think you can have an impact but you're going to have to have a multi-pronged approach. Throwing a few cameras in the market, if that's your answer, it's not an answer.”