Casino opponent blasts consultant

Questions raised over whether a new casino would cause a crime wave if it opened in city

A citizen who opposes a plan to build a casino in Peterborough says a consultant was mistaken when he told the Peterborough Police Services Board that a casino “won’t cause a crime wave”.

Kady Denton wrote to police board chairman Bob Hall to say she took issue with the consultant’s opinion.

Mike Mithcell of MPM Consulting in Barrie is writing a business plan for Peterborough Police.

At a police board meeting in January, Mitchell told the board there isn’t any need to make special plans for dealing with crime that may arise from the planned new casino.

“A casino doesn’t create a wave of crime in the community,” he said.

Denton had a response: “On what basis was this said?” she writes, in her letter to the board.

Denton attaches several studies to her letter to indicate that crime rates do increase with increased gambling in a city (she cites studies from the Canadian Consortium for Gambling Research, for instance).

Police board member Ken East had asked the consultant, in January, why there was no provision in the business plan for dealing with gamblingrelated crime.

“I was alarmed at this comment made by the consultant,” East told the police board on Tuesday.

East said he followed up with Mithcell; they spoke at length about it later.

“He clarified he meant inside the walls of the casino,” East said.

Still, East said he’s concerned about how a casino could bring more crime.

When you read studies, East said, they doesn’t dismiss the idea that crime comes with a casino. Then again, studies don’t guarantee a crime wave, either.

“It’s not conclusive on what will happen or not happen,” East said.

In 2016, city council rezoned a piece of land on Crawford Dr. at the Parkway for a new casino.

But there were opponents to the plan, and there will be an appeal before the Ontario Municipal Board in May.