Funding aimed at improving safety in downtown St. John’s

Posted: June 8, 2023 12:27 pm | Last Updated: June 8th, 2023 8:06 pm
By Rosie Mullaley



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Two levels of government will contribute a total of $180,000 in funding to help improve safety in the downtown core of the capital city.

In an announcement made today in St. John’s, Justice and Public Safety Minister John Hogan said the provincial government will contribute $100,000 in funding to the newly formed Downtown Safety Coalition, while St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen said the city will give $80,000.

The coalition was formed in late 2022 to address concerns about the need to improve safety in the downtown core. It includes representatives of the provincial government, including ministers, MHAs and the RNC, along with representatives from the City of St. John’s, the George Street Association, Downtown St. John’s Association, Destination St. John’s, business owners, Hospitality Newfoundland and Labrador and Music NL.
As part of the group’s strategy, the George Street Association invited all member-serving organizations to share experiences, feedback and align to address the matter of safety in the downtown area.

Members say the funding will go a long way to help make things better for those who work, live and visit the area.

In recent years, many have expressed concerns about the rising incidents of violence and criminal activity, the need for better security and lighting, as well as the desire for a cleaner downtown area.

George Street Association’s Don E. Coady said there’s also a need to remove apathy about reporting.

While RNC statistics indicate there has been no rise in downtown crime, it’s believed many incidents often go unreported. Coady said while each member of the coalition had tried to combat issues of safety in their own way, coming together as a working group has made a difference.

“The amazing thing is once we all started communicating, we all realized we had so much in common,” Coady told reporters during the event at Loose Tie club on George Street. “We all cared about these issues, we were all doing our own fragmented siloed activities to make these better, but a rising tide truly does lift all boats. So, coming together really allowed us to make the impact and to put the focus on change, that we’ve been able to achieve.”

RNC Chief Pat Roche said police are already making a big effort to combat crime in the downtown area, including adding a mounted unit for daily patrols, but he’s open recommendations from the coalition.

“Now we’re all around the table. We’re talking about solutions together …,” Roche said. “We are part of the coalition. It’s not about any one entity taking the lead. It’s about the entire group in this coalition working together in tandum to advance safety for all of our citizens.”

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