Police chief takes steps to improve perception of Barrie's downtown
Barrie's top police officer is weighing in on the condition of the city's downtown, saying that despite some high-profile crimes in the area, the numbers are improving.
- Download the CTV News app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates sent to your email inbox
Barrie Police Chief Rich Johnston is working with the Business Improvement Association (BIA) to change the narrative surrounding the downtown core.
"I can advise you that since 2018, we've seen a continued decrease in the level of crime harm, that is, the more serious crime that would affect the community," the chief said.
Johnston said every option to create a safer downtown is on the table and encourages residents and those in the business community to voice suggestions, such as increased lighting and more police patrols.
BIA Chair Heather Kennedy said teaming up with the police chief to address the problems plaguing the downtown couldn't come at a better time, with summer just around the corner.
"We want to focus on the fact that we're going to have a lot more out-of-town guests in the next little while, and we want to make sure that the perception, not only for our Barrie residents but our out-of-town residents, is that the downtown is a safe place to be," Kennedy said.
Chief Johnston said residents would notice short-term improvements with longer-term approaches in the coming months.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.