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Casino
means changes in Gananoque.
Gananoque Reporter - Sep 12
For better or worse, a casino is going to change this community as you know it.
That is the sentiment of Claude Brett, chief of the Gananoque Police Service.
Recently returned from viewing the impact charity casinos have had on Brantford and Thunder Bay, the police chief has gleaned valuable information for the Town of Gananoque.
"A Casino will change this community permanently," he surmised after viewing the casinos in these two communities.
"And you can't go back once it's here"
What he discovered is not surprising to casino critics.
The chief discovered from statistics provided by Brantford that a charity casino may have resulted in the expansion or opening of businesses that weren't there before.
He lists businesses such as escort services, massage parlors, check cashing and load enterprises, pawn shops and second hand stores.
"Some of these businesses.......we don't have in our community, thankfully," he noted.
Armed with this information, Chief Brett says he relayed the news to the committee that deals with by laws in Gananoque and asked them to create by laws here.
"Brantford didn't anticipate these types of businesses coming there so they didn't have by-laws in place," he noted.
"(And) you can't make laws retroactive."
Other information obtained by the police chief while visiting Brantford is the number and type of police calls requested at the casino.
"Statistically, I can tell you they're not alarming, but they do increase," he said.
After a casino arrived in both Thunder Bay and Brantford, criminal incidents consistently increased for frauds, thefts from motor vehicles; thefts of motor vehicles; counterfeit money; intoxicated persons and traffic collisions.
In fact, Thunder Bay reported a 118 per cent increase in the number of collisions around the casino.
"Now, I take all that information and I try to apply it in general terms to our (situation), "says the chief.
That is because Gananoque has somewhat of a unique situation. With the casino located just outside of the town's limits, it is officially situated in the Township of Leeds and Thousand Islands. As such, the OPP will respond to disturbance calls.
In addition, the casino will offer its own security force and a contingent of Opp officers are mandated to police "cheat and play."
Yet Chief Brett still has to determine what impact the casino would have on Gananoque because of its close proximity to town amenities.
"At the end of the day, I've considered what impact, if any, the casino will have on this community in relation to demands on services."
The chief deducted that the client base of the casino will almost certainly use the services of this community and along with that comes the criminal base.
"Criminals migrate to opportunities," he confirmed.
Because of this, the police chief has asked town council for four additional police officers.
A provincial equation puts the cost of each additional new police officer at $100,000.
Information provided by police services in other host casino communities reveals Brantford required nine additional staff, Port Perry required five additional staff, but Thunder Bay required none.
The police chief quickly adds that Thunder Bay was overstaffed at the onset of a casino arriving and the police chief there couldn't justify increasing his complement of officers.
In Gananoque, the situation is different.
Chief Brett cites statistics from other casino communities that indicate slight increases of criminal activity within a five-block radius of the casino. These figures change dramatically within a 10 block radius of the same casinos.
Other areas of concern for him once the casino opens here, includes a change in traffic patterns and an increase in the number of people milling about a later hours in town.
"To adequately police that, we should have two police officers available 24 hours a day," he said.
Now, a shift schedule in place at Gananoque Police Service results in only one officer on duty at times.
Asked if he believes a casino will benefit this community, the chief pauses before responding.
"There are pros and cons of having a casino within close proximity to our community."
He lists the pros as the financial benefits to both the town and township from the revenue of slot machines, an increase in jobs and an enlarged tax base.
He lists the cons as a casino providing an environment for criminals, late hours, drinking and people gambling money from family coffers that would have otherwise been spent on family support issues.
"Casinos have been in existence long enough in Ontario that people can make a rational decision as to whether or not to have one. This community has decided it does and so has the Township of Leeds and Thousand Islands," he says.
"I think it's up to our political leaders to be vigilant that it doesn't erode the quality of life here."
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