Winnipeg district police stations could open for 24/7 walk-in service

A Winnipeg Police Service district station.

Winnipeg city council is considering the idea of opening district police stations to the public for 24/7 service.

A motion put forward by Coun. Russ Wyatt says that in 2003, council adopted a four-district model for restructuring the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS), including the east, west, north and central districts. The goal of this model was to improve public access, and increase visibility and cooperative partnerships.

Currently, the north, west and east district stations are closed.

Now, Wyatt wants to reopen these stations to the public, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The motion recommends that all four district stations maintain 24/7 walk-in services to prioritize customer service and improve accessibility to front-line WPS members.

Coun, Markus Chambers, chair of the Winnipeg Police Board, said not many people went to district stations before they closed during the pandemic, adding that the WPS has expanded its online options for reporting crime.

He noted that the public wants an increased police presence on the streets, not behind a desk, and that increasing police resources comes at a cost.

“It’s a resource implication, and unless they’re willing to increase police budgets to allow for more officers to be hired or more staff to be hired to take calls or for that in-person reporting to occur,” Chambers said in an interview on Monday.

“Let’s be frank here; there is in-person reporting that can still occur at headquarters downtown.”

Wyatts’s motion will be discussed at Thursday’s council meeting.

- With files from CTV’s Danton Unger.