Making Public Safety a Priority

Restore Confidence in Our Neighbourhoods

Restore confidence in our neighbourhoods by protecting law-abiding residents, maintaining public order, and ensuring our communities remain safe, welcoming, and respectful.

Why It Matters

Public safety begins with confidence. Residents should feel comfortable walking their neighbourhoods, visiting local parks, shopping at local businesses, and enjoying public spaces without concern for disorder or unsafe behaviour. Safe communities encourage stronger neighbourhood relationships, attract investment, support local businesses, and improve overall quality of life. Restoring confidence also means reaffirming the importance of personal responsibility, respect for others, and maintaining the basic standards that allow communities to thrive.

Protect People, Families, and Private Property

Protect people, families, and private property by advocating for the consistent enforcement of laws and bylaws that discourage vandalism, theft, property crime, and other behaviours that undermine community safety.

Why It Matters

Every resident has the right to feel secure in their home, neighbourhood, and workplace. Vandalism, theft, property crime, and persistent disregard for laws and bylaws undermine public confidence, create unnecessary costs for residents and businesses, and diminish quality of life. Protecting people and property is a fundamental responsibility of municipal government. Residents and business owners deserve to know that illegal activity will be addressed consistently and fairly, helping to foster neighbourhoods where families feel secure, businesses can prosper, and communities remain welcoming for everyone.

Restore Safety and Confidence in Public Spaces

Advocate for policies that prioritize treatment and recovery while protecting public spaces from open drug use, discarded drug paraphernalia, and disorderly behaviour. Public parks, playgrounds, trails, transit stops, downtown streets, and other shared spaces should remain safe, welcoming, and accessible for everyone through a balanced approach that combines personal responsibility, consistent enforcement, and effective community partnerships.

Why It Matters

Every resident should be able to enjoy the public spaces that belong to our entire community with confidence. Families should feel comfortable taking their children to the park, seniors should be able to enjoy an evening walk, businesses should be able to operate in welcoming commercial districts, and residents should not have to witness or navigate open drug use, discarded drug paraphernalia, or behaviour that compromises public safety and community well-being.

A compassionate community recognizes addiction as a serious challenge that requires treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation, not acceptance. At the same time, compassion should never come at the expense of public safety or the rights of the broader community. Municipal leadership must balance empathy with accountability by supporting recovery-focused policies while maintaining public order and protecting the quality of life that residents expect and deserve.

Communities are strongest when public spaces are safe, welcoming, and shared by everyone. By promoting recovery, maintaining high standards for public spaces, and protecting the rights of law-abiding residents, St. Catharines can foster healthier neighbourhoods while restoring confidence in our parks, streets, and downtown.

Create Safer Streets and Neighbourhoods

Prioritize road safety by policing against speeding and dangerous driving, implementing practical traffic-calming measures, and creating neighbourhood streets where residents feel safe walking, driving, and enjoying their community. Residential streets should prioritize the safety of people over speeding traffic.

Why It Matters

A neighbourhood should be a place where people feel comfortable stepping outside their front door. Parents should feel confident allowing their children to walk to school or ride their bikes with friends. Families should be able to enjoy an evening walk together with their children and pets without worrying about speeding vehicles. Seniors should feel comfortable crossing the street or walking through their neighbourhood, and residents should never feel unsafe simply because they choose to walk instead of drive.

Across St. Catharines, speeding and dangerous driving have become growing concerns in neighbourhoods across our city. This concern is especially significant on residential streets without sidewalks, where pedestrians (including families walking with strollers, children, and residents walking their dogs) often share the roadway with vehicle traffic. No one should have to fear for their safety while walking through their own neighbourhood.

Safer streets create stronger communities. When residents feel comfortable walking their dogs, visiting neighbours, taking evening strolls, or simply spending time outdoors, neighbourhoods become healthier, more connected, and more vibrant. Through thoughtful traffic-calming measures, evidence-based road safety improvements, enhanced traffic enforcement, and ongoing collaboration with residents, we can create streets that put people's safety first.

Support Our First Responders and Strengthen Community Partnerships

Support our first responders and strengthen community partnerships by working collaboratively with the Niagara Regional Police Service, emergency services, schools, neighbourhood organizations, and community groups to prevent crime, improve community safety, and strengthen neighbourhood resilience.

Why It Matters

Public safety is built through partnership. Police officers, firefighters, paramedics, educators, neighbourhood associations, community organizations, volunteers, and outreach workers all play an important role in creating safer communities. While municipalities do not control every aspect of policing, healthcare, or the justice system, City Council has an important responsibility to support local partners, advocate for necessary resources, and foster collaborative solutions that improve public safety.

Advocate for Meaningful Action from Senior Levels of Government

Advocate for meaningful action from senior levels of government by leveraging strong government relationships to secure resources, influence policy, and address the broader challenges affecting community safety, including mental health, addictions, housing, and the justice system.

Why It Matters

Many of the challenges affecting community safety extend beyond municipal government. City Council must be a strong, credible advocate for St. Catharines by building productive relationships with provincial and federal governments, securing funding, influencing policy, and ensuring local voices are heard. Effective advocacy strengthens the City's ability to address complex challenges while ensuring taxpayers receive appropriate support from the governments responsible for these broader systems.