Police Services Board discusses homelessness, COVID-19 and drones

Belleville Police working to address homelessness

The Belleville Police Service has been making a concerted effort to address issues stemming from homeless and transient people in the city.

The Police Services Board held about a 10 minute discussion on the subject, during its meeting on Thursday morning, with Police Chief Ron Gignac noting a number of initiatives officers are taking to either help those who are truly in need, or address what he calls “transient vagrants” who are causing disruptions.

He added his officers will do their absolute best to “stop those types of behaviours from being ingrained in the community”, by laying criminal charges and bringing those individuals before the courts.

Gignac says when it comes to the local homeless population, there are lots of people in the community who are much easier to deal with, with officers even buying meals for them and helping them integrate into society.

He says solving these types of issues also requires work with various partners like the CMHA, Grace Inn Shelter and other community support groups.

The Chief is also urging people not to give money to panhandlers who are asking for change at busy city intersections, because in his experience, that money isn’t always going to buy necessities.

He adds that there are no rules in the Highway Traffic Act preventing people from loitering in medians, unless they’re disrupting the flow of traffic.

Mayor Mitch Panciuk asked the chief to put some thought into potential physical changes that could be made at those intersections to prevent that kind of activity.

Meanwhile, Councillor Kelly McCaw noted that with the building of a new shelter, Belleville is being seen as a “community that is open to helping homeless individuals”, so people who are from areas without shelters come here. She and the chief also voiced some concern about “certain community groups” who are bringing homeless people back to the city, once they’ve already left.

COVID-19 response costing BPS thousands

The COVID-19 response has so far cost the Belleville Police Service an extra $27,000.

Chief Ron Gignac outlined the police force’s pandemic-related spending to the Police Services Board on Thursday morning.

He says most of the extra cost has been going towards buying more protective equipment to protect officers going into uncontrolled environments and setting people up to work from home, while also planning ahead for a potential second wave.

He says they are also saving in some areas, with less officers taking part in extra training courses and seminars.

As far as testing goes, Gignac says his officers aren’t getting regular testing for COVID-19 but are adhering to strict self assessment and safety protocols.

He added that, of the tests that have been done, there have been no positive cases so far.

Gignac says a recent purchase of respirator masks for front line officers has made a big difference in officer safety during the pandemic.

Belleville Police drone busy through first quarter of 2020

Belleville’s police chief says an aerial drone purchased by the police service last year is getting plenty of work.

Chief Ron Gignac gave an update on the drone’s use to the Police Services Board on Thursday morning and says the new drone has been used 11 times in the first quarter of this year, for various tasks.

He says says the drone, which cost $37,000 is also able to track people in the dark with infrared technology, but also has some other features that allow it to spot things that are out of place, in a specific area.

Gignac says the police service’s older drone is still in service and is put to use more during daytime investigations, due to its more limited capabilities.