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A downtown Windsor apartment building known as a hotbed for criminal activity now has police officers stationed inside at all times.
During a Windsor Police Services Board meeting Thursday, police chief Jason Bellaire said officers have moved in — so to speak — to 333 Glengarry Ave.
“We want to make sure that there are rules in place,” Bellaire said. “That particular neighbourhood is going to be a very safe place to be — we’re going to make sure we help the people that live in that neighbourhood enjoy that neighbourhood.”
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The building, which is located just east of downtown, likely has the highest crime statistics in the area, Bellaire said.
During a two-day community safety operation in August in the 300 block of Glengarry Avenue — the location of several public housing complexes — Windsor police arrested 24 people and laid 48 charges.
Among the charges were six counts of assault with a weapon, two counts of assault, two counts of arson, eight counts of theft under $5,000, five counts of failure to comply with a court release order, and four counts of failure to comply with conditions of probation.
In July, police arrested 12 individuals alleged to have tortured and held three people against their will during multiple incidents, one of which allegedly took place in an apartment in the 300 block of Glengarry Avenue.
In June, police arrested two people and seized a pair of loaded shotguns after getting a tip about firearms in an apartment building in the same block.
Two fires, one in February and another in March, caused significant damage to the building.
The police force is working with the Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation, which operates Wheelton Manor, “to make sure the people who are residing there are the people who are supposed to be residing there, and make sure the people who are visiting are orderly and abiding by the law,” Bellaire said.
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Supt. Paolo DiCarlo is in charge of the investigations unit and is overseeing the operational strategy on Glengarry Avenue.
“It’s one of our top locations for violent crime,” DiCarlo told reporters after Thursday’s meeting.
“We’re looking at … stepping up patrols so that the people in the Glengarry neighbourhood are feeling safe.”
Officers started doing patrols inside the building on Aug. 10 and subsequently moved into an available office space.
On any given day and depending on staffing levels, DiCarlo said, anywhere from four to eight officers will be stationed inside the building.
The Windsor police city centre patrol unit and problem oriented policing unit are part of the initiative.
The force is also looking to bring in “other partners” who can provide folks with wraparound social services quickly, DiCarlo said.
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