Chief holds first safety meeting for downtown

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This article was published 14/03/2025 (188 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Brandon police Chief Tyler Bates says he was “really impressed” with the level of engagement and participation from the people he met with on Thursday, who have a vested interest in making downtown Brandon a safe place to be and visit.

“We had about 30 representatives from food banks, shelters, from all types of social service sectors and agencies that work downtown and provide services to the downtown populations,” said Bates.

“It was really productive; everybody who gathered wants to contribute to meaningful investment in public safety within our downtown area.”

Four hours were set aside on Thursday morning for a meeting that has been planned for months, Bates added, with the ultimate goal of coming up with a downtown public safety strategy.

“We have a growing vulnerable population that is challenged with homelessness, addictions and mental health issues,” Bates said. “And we’re never going to police our way out of those issues.

“It’s my intention and desire for downtown to be a safe and welcoming place, but I know that because of a few recent incidents, that level of assurance has been fractured for some, and I really want to be responsive to and mindful of that.”

On March 1, there was an assault that happened in broad daylight on Rosser Avenue, when a 30-year-old woman was beaten up and robbed by four teens outside The Town Centre. Two 14-year-old girls, a 17-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy were arrested and charged with robbery with violence.

On Jan. 16, a 67-year-old man was hit in the face with a baseball bat on the corner of Rosser Avenue and Seventh Street during the noon hour. The alleged attacker was charged with assault with a weapon.

“It’s a tragedy when we have somebody who is randomly attacked and assaulted in those types of incidences,” Bates said.

“But there’s no benefit in sticking your head in the sand when we’ve got challenges and issues that we need to face with respect to public safety within our community.”

There are three more meetings like Thursday’s planned. The next one will gather input from the business community, then from people who live downtown, and finally with members of Brandon Police Service.

It’s not known when those meetings will happen, and Bates told the Sun he would prefer not to share what was discussed on Thursday, until he has received all the input.

A professional facilitator was brought in to get the discussion going, said Shannon Saltarelli, community housing and wellness co-ordinator with the City of Brandon, who added she left the meeting feeling optimistic.

“It was solution-seeking,” Saltarelli said. “I feel as if there’s a lot of alignment in our community, as far as people who understand what the gaps are and what some of the solutions could be.

“There were synergies in the room as well as a level of frustration about the challenges our community is facing and the complexity of them. But there were some new ideas that emerged, which was really encouraging to see.

“Whatever is done that is good for downtown is good for the whole community,” she said.

The initiative that Bates and his team have taken to meet and speak with downtown stakeholders is appreciated, said Brandon Mayor Jeff Fawcett.

“I look forward to the feedback and will continue to work with all parties to make certain we have a safe and healthy downtown for everyone,” Fawcett said.

As Bates thinks about a time in the future when the public safety strategy is complete, he said it may have to be adjusted if it’s not having a measurable impact. He added that he believes that the social service providers will contribute to “improvements over the long term.”

“To do nothing isn’t an option,” he said. “We need to be mindful of the reality of the situation and try to make positive collective efforts towards making Brandon a city that is safe, welcoming and hospitable, and doesn’t have the continuing story of violence randomly being perpetrated on our streets.”

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