What's Up In the South End?

UPDATED FEB 27, 2011

When I read Fred Taylor’s comment in the Daily News earlier on this week (48 nuisance calls to the Newport in the past 2 years, 50 calls to the Balmoral in the past year), an alarm bell went off for me.  Anyone who lives in the vicinity of the Balmoral and the Newport Hotels knows that the difference between the 2 low-barrier operations is like night and day.  Still the numbers were curious.

So I got on the phone  and placed 3 calls:

1. Randy Churchill, Manager of By-laws
2. Dave LaBerge, from the RCMP
3. Kevan Griffith, supervisor at the Balmoral.

Here’s how it goes…..

Nuisance calls as recorded by the city/RCMP have a clear set of criteria. In most cases, one thinks of a nuisance call as being one that is directed at a property by the neighbours.  And that is what a majority of the calls to the Newport would seem to be.  Apparently there have been many more calls there in the past 2 years, but not all of a nuisance nature.   This number can be confirmed by at least 4 neighbours who have made the majority of calls to the city and police, and will attest to making far more than 48 calls.

In the case of the Newport, as with the Value Lodge and King Arthur’s Court in the past, the nuisance designation was meant to protect the residents.  Where there is an uncontrolled culture, and there is the threat of harm, or of someone ultimately being killed through illicit activities, it is the process of last resort, because it can mean that tenants end up on the street, which is the last thing that most people want.

The Newport was deemed to be a nuisance property 2 months ago, but they were given a reprieve, based on a full “laundry list” that the landlord was given after a 1/2 day on-site meeting.  While some of the list items were fulfilled by deadline, others weren’t.  So the Nuisance Designationwas no surprise to the landlord and the property owner.

Have there been calls since the designation?  Yes, there have been.  There were actually 3 calls the day the initial reporter went in to cover the story.  And we know the sad story of the woman who overdosed in one of the rooms, may she rest in peace.

Now, despite Mr Taylor’s wording,  the Balmoral is NOT a nuisance property.   But it still had 50 calls in the past year…huhhh??

Remember that the Bal is not just a residence, but has Social Services for the public on the main floor.

First, let’s turn this around and suggest that a call can also originate from within the building. This is the case with the Bal, who have made the majority of the calls.  The last call to the RCMP was to remove a non-resident who was drinking in front of the building.  Recent calls have included break-in/theft, or various crimes, the types of calls similar to what happens in a neighbourhood.

Many of the legitimate calls originate from the social services offices, who serve a large number of clients who are NOT building residents.  The RCMP is a community partner in the Balmoral, so there are regular updates and alerts.  Manager Kevan Griffiths offered this:  “if you see the police there, it’s likely because we have invited them.” 

Have there been complaints against the Balmoral by neighbours?   It would appear, from an initial off-the cuff calculation (hey don’t pin any of this on the folks I interviewed, this is just MY rough guestimation)  that  1/3 to 1/2 of the calls have come from a single person.  (And if you live here, you know who that person is.)

So if you deduct the single caller, you are looking at perhaps 25 to 35 calls, mostly directed at users of social services or visitors to the building, not residents.   I didn’t get a scoop on the numbers of visitors to the building and its services, so I have nothing to compare it to.  Are 2 to 3 calls monthly a lot?  How many calls did the the former Living Room on Nicol Street used to get?   The downtown bars?  Is there anything you can even compare it to????  Comments, please?

But the one thing you can’t compare the Balmoral to is the Newport.  So this at least moves the newspaper comments from  “apples to oranges” to “apples to apples”. so to speak.

Barbara

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Nature of complaints helps police determine ‘nuisance’ designation

Walter Cordery, Daily News

Published: Friday, February 24, 2012

Not all properties that prompt “nuisance calls” to the RCMP are treated equally, according to a police spokesman.

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