Police Chief Troy Hagen (centre) at Wednesday’s Regina Police Commission meeting. Photo by Manfred Joehnck.
It is not often that delegations appear before the Regina Police Commission, but on Wednesday there were four.
All of them are opposed to police using a law to ban, ticket, or charge people who are causing problems in businesses, particularly in the downtown.
On Wednesday, there was a six-month review of enforcing the Trespass to Property Act. Robyn Pitawanakwat runs a day care in the downtown, and says aboriginal people are feeling unwelcome.
“We are shopping less and less in the stores we expect would probably take this on,” she said. “We know as aboriginal people, as poor people, that we are not welcome there, so we avoid them.”
Regina police chief Troy Hagen says the law offers more flexibility and less severe sanctions for violators. He says it’s also resulting in fewer complaints.
“We have an 18 per cent reduction in calls for service,” he said. “That in itself has a positive impact on the broader community in terms of people have a greater sense of security.”
Police say since the law has been used 136 people have been banned from businesses, 38 trespassing tickets have been issued, but only one criminal charge has been laid.
The law is provincial, not civic, and it was actually passed in 2009.
Last year there were 3,000 calls for service to downtown Regina. That number has dropped about 18 per cent since police began enforcing the trespass to property initiative.
Hagen says police do exercise discretion and compassion in dealing with the homeless, those addicted to drugs, and others who are struggling just to find a place to get warm. But he says police also have to respond to concerns being raised by business owners who may feel threatened, intimidated, or harassed by persistent trouble makers.