On February 24, the St. Catharines Downtown Association hosted a Downtown Public Safety Meeting at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in partnership with Niagara Region and the City of St. Catharines.
125 businesses and residents attended. Over 40 pre-submitted questions shaped the discussion.
The purpose of the evening was to provide clear, coordinated updates on current public safety, enforcement, and community well-being initiatives in the downtown core.
Below is a summary of the key updates shared.
Niagara Regional Police Service provided updated downtown data comparing 2024 to 2025, a few notable highlights:
- Calls for service declined by 7%.
- 30% of calls involve “unwanted persons.”
- 15% involve ambulance assists.
- Call volume is consistently highest between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- Mental Health Act calls declined by 60%.
- Ambulance assists increased by 8% during the same period.
Deployment reflects those trends.
The CORE unit, 8 constables and 1 sergeant, continues proactive daytime patrols focused on the downtown core.
In the coming weeks, a data-driven “hot-spot” policing model will be implemented in St. Catharines. The city is divided into 300-metre zones. When incidents increase in a zone, officers are directed to spend focused time there. Research indicates that concentrated presence in targeted areas can reduce crime by 15–30%.
Police emphasized that reporting remains critical. Incidents such as graffiti or property damage that are not reported do not influence crime analytics or deployment decisions.
A comprehensive downtown policing update will be presented at City Council on March 23. Members interested in deeper detail on trends and initiatives are encouraged to attend or review Council materials. Learn more here.
Businesses also raised concerns about repeat individuals and instances and what escalation looks like.
Police confirmed that analysts are identifying the most frequently engaged individuals and working with Niagara Region and service providers through coordinated regional tables to connect those individuals to housing, mental health, and addiction supports.
Many repeat issues require cross-system intervention, not solely enforcement, to create sustained change.
The Welcoming Streets Initiative (WSI) continues to operate Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., providing real-time engagement and service navigation for individuals in distress. Many questions asked about this timing and if it is intended to be extended.
The pilot runs until April 30 and is currently under evaluation. Funding decisions are expected following that review. Real-time data will be referenced and as such businesses were encouraged to call WSI early when situations arise. Early engagement can also prevent escalation and connect individuals to supports more effectively.
The SCDA will be calling on businesses to help support funding requests at the Region next month.
Call WSI at 905-981-4283, email at wsi@reachniagara.com, or www.stcwelcomingstreets.com
Niagara Region outlined the structural housing pressures affecting downtown. They mentioned there are approximately 945 regular supportive housing units are required across Niagara and a shortfall of roughly 237 highly supportive units.
Projects currently advancing include:
- Opening 49 units of supportive housing.
- Replacing two shelters (one located in St. Catharines).
- Additional supported housing units through Gateway Residential & Community Support Services.
- The Niagara “Heart Hub,” which is operational and coordinating housing placements with wraparound supports.
A supportive housing implementation plan will be presented this spring. The Niagara Region shared advocacy efforts at all levels to secure funding for supportive housing.
The broader message was clear: increasing supportive housing supply is central to reducing long-term repeat street-level issues.
Niagara Region operates a tiered extreme weather plan, expanding outreach and shelter capacity during severe conditions. This winter, 98 additional shelter beds were activated during extreme cold events.
Outreach teams directly engage encampments during severe weather, and fire suppression teams monitor known vacant buildings.
You can view the Region’s cold weather plan here.
Operational concerns around the downtown that were raised included daily garbage set-out, sidewalk obstruction, graffiti, and vacant buildings.
City and Regional representatives confirmed coordination with the Downtown Association and Niagara Waste to improve alignment in the enhanced zone. Clearer communication on proper garbage set-out timing is forthcoming.
The City’s matching graffiti removal grant remains available, and staff are reviewing ways to simplify the application process to improve uptake.
Clarifying Responsibility: Who to Call
One of the most practical outcomes of the evening was clarifying system navigation:
- 911 – emergencies and criminal activity
- Police non-emergency or online reporting – property damage, trespassing, mischief
- 211 – social service navigation
- Welcoming Streets – non-criminal concerns involving individuals in distress
- By-law – property standards complaints
Improving clarity around these distinctions remains a priority.
What to Expect in the Next Six Months
The following initiatives are measurable and underway:
- Implementation of the hot-spot policing model
- Advancement of supportive housing projects
- Review and funding direction for Welcoming Streets
- Continued weekly operational coordination meetings
- Planting of 35 new trees in empty downtown tree wells
If you have additional questions please submit them here.
Downtown performance depends on clear data, coordinated action, and informed engagement. That work continues.
A big thank you to everyone for making this possible,
See you downtown,
Kat Dodge, Executive Director, St. Catharines Downtown Association