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MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
\nDowntown Community Safety Partnership executive director Greg Burnett in their command centre, where the new Beacon program is used. The program allows them to view security footage live from several businesses downtown and respond to situations faster. <\/p>\n
Now the program, titled Beacon, is ready to level up: both the City of Winnipeg and Winnipeg Police Service are preparing to add cameras. Those, in addition to more users, could bring the total camera count above 100.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe believe that it really strengthens the safety net downtown,\u201d said Brian Scharfstein, owner of Canadian Footwear, at 128 Adelaide St.<\/p>\n
He was one of the first on board: the feed from upwards of four cameras at the company\u2019s location are shared with the DCSP. Canadian Footwear spends around $120 to $140 per month on the monitoring program, Scharfstein said.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo be quite honest, it\u2019s one of my better investments,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In one instance, his staff needed someone removed from the store parking lot. They called the downtown patrol; a DCSP employee reviewed the relevant tape, saw what was occurring and dispatched someone who knew what to expect. Sometimes, they arrive in five minutes, Scharfstein said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a real level of confidence, trust and comfort knowing that somebody\u2019s watching,\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a real level of confidence, trust and comfort knowing that somebody\u2019s watching,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The safety partnership isn\u2019t interested in policing, executive director Greg Burnett emphasized. It\u2019ll sometimes flag incidents of crime caught on camera, such as a break-in, to police, but it\u2019s largely focused on community well-being, Burnett said.<\/p>\n
The DCSP has hired a new staff member dedicated to Beacon in anticipation of the program expanding. It has largely relied on alerts from security cameras to see relevant activity. Artificial intelligence isn\u2019t used for facial recognition or other tracking, Burnett said.<\/p>\n
\u201c(This is) very basic. It looks like (someone) may need help, we can dispatch somebody to help them,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The DCSP might call the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service about cases and meet them on site to assist. In other instances, the non-profit\u2019s workers attend solo to de-escalate difficult situations or check on people, Burnett explained.<\/p>\n
The video surveillance system has grown in tandem with the demand for safety partnership crews. It might field 300 to 350 calls weekly \u2014 double the 150 to 200 calls it received when it started in 2020, Burnett said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not going to get everybody on every street corner\u2026 it\u2019s just fiscally impossible,\u201d he said. \u201cSo how do we leverage different ways to increase safety in our downtown?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI always worry and (am) concerned, \u2018Oh, Big Brother is watching over surveillance.\u2019 \u2026 That\u2019s not what this is.<\/p>\n
Upon launching, the DCSP was tasked with integrating CCTV camera operations. It connected with Solink, an Ottawa-based company, about bringing different organizations\u2019 feeds into one dispatch location, according to a 2024 Solink article.<\/p>\n
The different systems \u2014 and all the moving pieces \u2014 have been a challenge to merge, Burnett noted. The feeds are cloud-based; some companies use QNAP, which adds a layer of protection between their surveillance systems and the DCSP, Burnett said.<\/p>\n
The DCSP keeps footage for a maximum two weeks, said Joe Macdonald, the lead on the Beacon program.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always worry and (am) concerned, \u2018Oh, Big Brother is watching over surveillance,\u2019\u201d Burnett said about people\u2019s perception. \u201cThat\u2019s not what this is. I think that\u2019s why people are buying into it and seeing what it is about.\u201d<\/p>\n
Participating organizations don\u2019t have access to others\u2019 footage, he said.<\/p>\n
The City of Winnipeg plans to add 10 cameras to the program over the coming month. Locations haven\u2019t been determined, city spokesman Adam Campbell wrote in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe the camera program will be a very important component of enhancing safety in Winnipeg\u2019s downtown,\u201d said Mayor Scott Gillingham.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis Beacon program is going to enhance the delivery of public safety and social services for our city.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Winnipeg Police Service will share camera feeds with the Beacon program in \u201cthe near future,\u201d spokesman Const. Claude Chancy confirmed.<\/p>\n
Those cameras are positioned over intersections, according to Burnett. The police won\u2019t have access to the Beacon network and others\u2019 security feeds, he said.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s something Kevin Walby, a University of Winnipeg criminal justice professor, worried about. He cited a 2019 case in Detroit in which police used a similar security camera system; the program ultimately focused on criminalization.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis Beacon program is going to enhance the delivery of public safety and social services for our city.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you start creating networks of cameras, centralizing access in public-private partnerships and police tapping into that, I think it starts to get extreme,\u201d Walby said. \u201cThe (DCSP) is all about meeting people\u2019s needs, but police are about security.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beacon will not be like the Detroit case, Burnett stressed.<\/p>\n
Kate Fenske, chief executive of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, applauded the local program: \u201cIt\u2019s bringing folks together.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen we\u2019re looking at how DCSP approaches its work on the street, it is being as proactive as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Beacon project hasn\u2019t yet been a line item in the DCSP\u2019s budget. Burnett estimated the total cost has ranged from $50,000 to $100,000 so far; the non-profit is figuring out a financial structure with private partners, he said.<\/p>\n
The DCSP has been funded by both the City of Winnipeg and Manitoba government.<\/p>\n
gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com<\/p>\n
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Gabrielle Pich\u00e9 Gabrielle Pich\u00e9 reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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