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First up, a quick refresher about the DCSP. Our highly visible team members (in bright green!) are dedicated to serving everyone in our downtown—whether they live, work, study, or are visiting. This includes those who are most in need or at risk. The DCSP operates 24/7 with our MAC24/7 and CONNECT Safety Teams on constant watch in the downtown. Our COAR Team provides case management services, our Clean Slate Teams help individuals find new pathways, and the Coordinated Assistance Network (CAN) communicates and coordinates all the calls for service and activity. Our teams lead this critical work all while developing trusting relationships with members of our downtown community who might need assistance.
As a result of additional funding from the Province, City, and the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ to establish the
Downtown Safety Action Plan and to address safety concerns downtown this summer, the DCSP has been able to quickly scale up and expand our operations to have as many ‘eyes and ears’ on the streets as possible. Working collaboratively with our partners at Bear Clan Patrol, OPK, N’Dinawemak (Our Relatives’ Place), and the Centre for Aboriginal Human Resource Development (CAHRD) on recruitment and training, we have been able to add nearly 20 new staff members, while expanding the hours of our current DCSP team members. The best part - these efforts are already having a positive impact on our community.
During the first three weeks, staff recorded helping 195 people proactively, or about 9 per day. In 161 of these situations, they were able to give immediate help or de-escalation; in 26 of them, another DCSP team was called to help, and in 8 of them, another resource was called. Fortunately, staff only needed to call 911 once.
69 reports were business check-ins. A business check-in is when DCSP teams make a focused effort to connect with downtown workers - to say hello, see if they have any concerns, or if they’ve noticed any new patterns or changes to downtown wellbeing in their day-to-day routines. When businesses let us know about something they’ve noticed, this information becomes an important piece in our ‘data-driven’ puzzle, giving us insight in directing teams to provide greater presence at certain locations, and/or at certain times. This helps us have as much impact as possible in our mission of a safe, healthy, and connected downtown.
Again, in just three short weeks, the value of having more ‘eyes and ears’ downtown is already showing itself. Staff demonstrated that they were able to help nearly 200 people meet a need, that, if gone unmet, could have evolved into crisis.
We look forward to continuing this important work this summer, and beyond, and sharing our success stories along the way with you. If you’re interested in getting a first-hand experience of what we do, we’re inviting businesses and community organizations to schedule a community walk with us. Join us for our weekly walks on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. or get in touch with us to arrange a walk at a day/time that works best for your organization's schedule. Send us an email at info@dcsp.ca or give us a call at 204-947-DCSP.
I know that, as a community, together we can make a difference and create a safer and healthier downtown.
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