Commissionaires fate undecided

By roger knox Morning Star Staff Aug 15 2007 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/

A meeting with several groups prior to the end of the month could determine the fate of downtown commissionaires. Malcom Dunn, Downtown Vernon Association president, made a presentation to Vernon city council on Monday, outlining the positive effect the commissionaires have had in helping to reduce crime in the downtown core since they were implemented last October. “The key areas we focused on were Cenotaph Park and the parking areas the employees and business owners use,” said Dunn. “We specifically targeted times that people were commuting to and from their cars. Our safety patrols encouraged loiterers to move and generally disrupted illegal activities.” Dunn pointed out that, now, at any given time of day or night, you can walk through Cenotaph Park and see people enjoying the facility, as opposed to finding “upward of 40 individuals taking part in any number of illegal activities, and no enforcement in sight.”

The DVA, due to the positive impact of the commissionaires, began a fundraising campaign to continue the safety patrols through the entire 2007. Financial institutions, businesses and individual anonymous donations were received, and the DVA asked council to provide some funds for the commissionaires, a matter council decided to table upon receiving further information. “Everyone in this room knows it (Cenotaph Park) can return to its former condition quicker than it took to clean it up,” said Dunn. “It is with this in mind that the DVA requests the City of Vernon continue the work already done by the DVA and its members by continuing the patrols downtown. “We are not asking for a handout or a cheque for the remainder of the year. What we are asking for is the city to continue the current services provided by the commissionaires in some form.”

Couns. Juliette Cunningham and Barry Beardsell were opposed to the request. “From my perspective, we have to be cautious,” said Cunningham. “If we give money to the DVA, there’s nothing to stop other businesses having challenges from coming to us and asking for something. “We’re not responsible for just the downtown, but to the entire City of Vernon.” Both Beardsell and Cunningham wanted to hear how the RCMP and bylaw officials also played a part in cleaning up the downtown. RCMP have added foot patrols to their duties, and also have the Vernon Safety Patrol and RCMP bike patrols working in the downtown. The city has also added more bylaw officers. “We need analysis, not a 12th hour request,” said Beardsell. Councillor Patrick Nicol offered the DVA an olive branch, saying the city knows the group stepped up to the plate, and that people now feel safe in the downtown area. Nicol suggested setting up a meeting between the partner groups to further discuss the safety patrol, featuring representatives from council, the RCMP, bylaw and DVA. The motion passed by a 4-2 margin with Cunningham and Beardsell voicing their opposition.