Fall is back in Centretown, bringing with it thousands of students, contract-workers, civil servants and returning vacationers whose rowdy behaviour at popular nightlife hubs is drawing the increased attention of the Ottawa police.
In early September, 30 police officers conducted evening “nuisance enforcement blitzes” in the Byward Market, Centretown, Lowertown, Vanier and Sandy Hill neighbourhoods.
Along with their enforcement partners (OC Transpo, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and Ottawa By-Law Services), police handed out more than 900 offence notices. Even more verbal warnings were administered, says Ottawa Police Sgt. Eddy Yeoumans.
“It’s not physically possible to issue a ticket to every person because it’s very, very busy,” he says.
People of all ages were charged with offences including public drunkenness, panhandling, failure to pay bus fares, rolling through stop signs, driving while talking on cellphone’s, noise violations and other offences.
“All this is a huge demand on our resources,” Coun. Eli El-Chantiry, police services board chairman, told local media.
“Clearly they are way out of control, vomiting on the street or falling all over the road. I don’t want to wait until something happens,” he says of hectic night scene he saw when accompanying police on their Sept. 10, blitz.
The start of fall usually spikes a demand for police resources because people are coming to the area to enjoy what’s left of the good weather, says Yeoumans.
“As a result, we go out and try to proactively educate some people in regards to what they can and what can’t do,” he adds.
The raucous behaviour is a year-round occurrence, says Toria Laine, of the the Centretown Citizens Community Association. . But says she agrees September can be an extremely loud month.
“When it comes to the start of September, usually I sleep with earplugs in for the first couple of weekends,” she says.
Centretown residents have to speak up for things to calm down, says Peter So, chair of the Somerset Street and Chinatown Business Improvement Area.
“Police just don’t come without people complaining,” he says.
Centretown residents have been complaining, says Yeoumans. The police are listening and are planning future blitzes in an attempt to curb many of the offences going on after dark, he says.
“I don’t think that could ever be a bad thing, having police out on the streets,” he adds.
Police need to focus specific attention to areas where people gather after-hours, says Jamie Lennox, general manager of James Street Pub.
“(The police) do have stuff to deal with, so they’re not necessarily exactly where you want them at the right time, but they’re there fast and in numbers,” says Lennox of his time working downtown.
City bylaws may need to change for people to start listening to police warnings, says So. “I don’t believe in harsh punishment but if prevention didn’t work, punishment should be the second alternative,” he says.
The unruly behaviour can’t be stopped, says Baird. “You’re always going to have rowdiness in areas that have a large concentration of bars like the Market and Elgin Street. … The people that live in this area pretty much put up with it,” she adds.