FEB. 22, 2023
Jon Liedtke
Are Windsor’s only options to deal with vandalism & homelessness either tough on crime or path of atonement. What does your compassionate Windsor look like?
Recently Windsor has had an ongoing conversation about mental health and policing throughout the city, however receiving far more coverage and notice in the downtown core.
We’ve seen recurring vandalism, neighbourhood complaints of break-and-enter and thefts, and last election some candidates ran on what appeared to be ‘tough on crime’ policies that were linked with expanding Windsor Police Services, while others ran on ‘path of attonement’ (Robinson and Sarahne) expanding mental health access, affordable housing, and solving root issues contributing to homelessness and the associated problems with it such as vandalism, drug usage, etc.
With Windsor Police arresting a 53-year-old man with substance abuse issues who had recently destroyed upwards of 13 downtown businesses’ front windows when he threw metal screws through them causing upwards of $13,000 in damages, I was left thinking about a comment from downtown Windsor business owner, Tom Lucier, who has put his heart and soul into downtown while running Phog Lounge:
“This is the thing that keeps getting overlooked: That guy was such an outlier.
The people who are causing a lot of the vandalism, and it’s very random, it’s through manic episodes, mental health problems.… We totally miss the point when something like this comes out.
Police can’t be there to prevent this stuff. There needs to be an actual wholesale buy-in to taking care of the people on the streets.
The fact that’s not being done, it’s just getting worse and worse.
We have not elected compassionate people.”
Tom Lucier, owner Phog Lounge, emphasis added
The issue is undoubtedly complex, especially if you read through local media from this week alone:
Windsor man, 53, arrested after windows broken at 13 businesses | CBC News
‘Revolving door’ — Courts left to deal with Windsor’s social ills | Windsor Star
YouTube channel shows Downtown Mission of Windsor neighbourhood issues | Windsor Star
Are Windsor’s only options to deal with vandalism & homelessness either tough on crime or path of atonement. What does your compassionate Windsor look like?
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