Police calls to homeless shelter a concern
More than 70 times over four months
Niagara Regional Police say they have responded to calls for service at the Niagara Falls Summer Street emergency shelter multiple times a week since mid-December.
“The Niagara Regional Police Service are hearing community concerns/complaints regarding needles, garbage, drug usage/overdoses,” said Const. Jesse Vujasic, noting there have been 74 calls for service since Dec. 18, a period of 124 days.
“In addition, when the shelter is deemed at capacity, individuals who are not able to enter often remain in the vicinity resulting in further calls to police.”
Vujasic said there have been no reports of violence in the vicinity linked to the shelter, but officers have responded to overdoses “directly within and neighbouring area of the shelter.”
Other calls for service include loitering, trespassing and theft.
Niagara Falls Review reached out to police and Niagara Region, which funds emergency shelters, including the one on Summer Street, after residents in the area talked about how the presence of the housing-focused facility has led to a multitude of issues they said are ruining the established tightknit neighbourhood during an April 9 Niagara Falls city council meeting.
Amanda Jellema, who lives behind the shelter and was chosen by her neighbours to address council during the meeting — with many of them in the gallery — said safety and security issues related to the shelter have made them feel like hostages in their own neighbourhood.
She asked city council for help to address the issues, which led politicians to approve a motion asking staff to report back with answers to questions raised by residents and to set up a meeting with representation from the neighbourhood, city, Region and police.
When reached for comment via email, Niagara Region did not answer most questions posed by The
Review but provided a general statement.
“Niagara Region opened its Summer Street emergency shelter in November 2023. This is a year-round facility that provides emergency shelter services with an objective to provide residents with shelter while they work towards attaining their own suitable housing,” said the statement.
“We are currently working with City of Niagara Falls staff and Niagara Regional Police to address neighbourhood concerns and to discuss the future of emergency shelter arrangements in Niagara Falls. Additional information regarding these concerns, our actions, as well as recommendations to address larger concerns will be provided in a report to Niagara Falls city council in May.”
Niagara Region said it would be in a better position to discuss issues once the report is completed in mid-May.
Vujasic said some police officers had a tour of the shelter prior to its opening, with a view to understand layout of the facility and learn about its daily operations.
“On a typical attendance, officers enter the front entrance/ lobby area only, unless deemed required to respond to an incident within facility (i.e., medical issue),” she said.
“Police are in regular contact with shelter management attempting to keep open communication with any issues that may occur.”
Vujasic said meetings continue to be scheduled by regional and city officials with members of the community “to allow them to share their concerns and ask questions.”
She said police typically attend these sessions “to be kept aware of what is transpiring and if any solutions could be implemented in the area.”
Those include what are referred to as Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design strategies.
“Niagara Falls CORE officers (Community Oriented Response and Engagement) who work daily with the community partners of Niagara Falls and have fostered positive relationships with the unhoused, assist in mitigating some of the issues in the area of the shelter,” said Vujasic.
“Uniformed patrol officers, specifically CORE officers, work closely with outreach workers and utilize their services when necessary to aid in assisting the unhoused collaboratively with police.”