Centretown community to meet with police, advocating for action in wake of Gilmour Street homicide
Posted Jan 9, 2020 09:34:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The Centretown Citizens Community Association is calling for local policing changes following a shooting on Gilmour Street which claimed one life and left three in hospital.
Association President Shawn Barber believes that, while Ottawa is generally a safe city, it still has some issues.
If the City of Ottawa can tackle homelessness, drug addiction and take more meaningful action on gun control, Barber thinks it can improve the environment that allowed crimes like the shooting to happen.
He suggests implementing a community policing pilot project in the Centretown area, similar to initiatives that have already been launched in four other local neighbourhoods with high crime rates.
“We'd have more officers out of the cars, on the streets, on bikes, talking to businesses and getting to know the neighbourhoods better,” Barber said. “That's the way we can adopt a crime prevention model, as opposed to more reactive.”
The Centretown community association will be holding a public meeting with Ottawa Police Chief Peter Sloly next month to address crime in the area.
Currently, the meeting is scheduled for February 25 at 6 p.m. at the Carleton Dominion-Chalmers Centre, although Barber hopes the meeting will be pushed to an earlier date, given recent events.
Ottawa police are still investigating the homicide on Gilmour Street and searching for a suspect.
