Prince George’s Standing Committee on Public Safety is exploring the potential for overnight safety patrols funded through a local area service, aimed at enhancing security for downtown businesses.
Ahead of the Tuesday, March 18, meeting, Eric Depenau, director of administrative services, prepared a report outlining four potential options for improving overnight security in the downtown core.
These options included hiring private security to patrol downtown overnight, establishing a night shift for bylaw services, expediting the addition of extra officers to the local RCMP detachment, and reinstating the overnight fire patrols program, which involved bylaw officers, firefighters, and the RCMP last year.
During the discussion, both downtown advocacy group representatives and committee members expressed interest in gauging downtown business owners’ willingness to contribute to private security through a local area service.
Local area services allow municipalities to establish funding for a service that is paid for only by users who benefit from it, rather than the entire population.
During his presentation, Depenau estimated that it would cost about $400,000 annually to hire two guards for mobile patrols from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., covering the period when bylaw services are not active. The guards would observe and report incidents within a defined area.
He suggested the city could partner with Downtown Prince George (DPG) to survey its members and assess support for a local area service.
DPG president Eoin Foley, co-owner of Nancy O’s and Betulla Burning, said a private patrol was something he had long advocated for, seeing it as the "fastest, easiest, and cheapest way to provide overnight peace of mind for business owners and property owners."
Similar to the security camera pilot project that DPG and the Prince George Chamber of Commerce are jointly overseeing, Foley said his organization could consider contracting out the patrol, relieving the city from having to manage it.
He noted that every DPG member he had spoken to expressed interest in contributing to the program. Although DPG primarily represents businesses in commercially zoned areas of downtown, Foley added that businesses across Queensway in the industrial zone had also shown interest in such a program.
City manager Walter Babicz pointed out that to establish a local area service, the city must receive a petition showing support from both 50 per cent plus one of the properties affected by the service and 50 per cent plus one of the total property value impacted by it.
He clarified that the cost of implementing the patrol would depend on how much of the cost would be covered by general taxation versus those in the local area.
Deputy corporate officer Leslie Kellett said the city’s cost would be limited to mailing notices to affected property owners and staff time for preparing the petition.
Coun. Brian Skakun expressed concerns about asking business owners to bear an additional $400,000 annual cost, noting that many are already struggling.
Kellett suggested that business owners could signal support for the program by circulating an informal petition or expression of interest, which could then be submitted to the city to inform staff’s work.
The city’s website includes an example of an expression of interest form for local area services.
Once the city is ready to issue a formal petition, Kellett estimated a waiting period of about 45 days to receive responses.
Even if DPG manages the funds for the program, Mayor Simon Yu emphasized that the city would retain some responsibility. He noted that the procurement process terms would need to be defined before issuing the formal petition to ensure transparency.
Committee member Miranda Seymour, who is running for Lheidli T’enneh First Nation council in the April 9 election, raised concerns about the impact of a downtown patrol on unhoused individuals, wondering whether they would be constantly monitored or asked to move along.
Depenau clarified that the patrols would focus on issues such as fires, fights, and broken windows, with the guards reporting these incidents to the police rather than relocating individuals. If someone were found camping outside a business, they would be directed to a shelter for the night.
If the private security officers would only be observing and reporting, Yu questioned whether expanding the security camera pilot project might be a more efficient approach.
Prince George RCMP officer-in-charge Supt. Darin Rappel pointed to Kelowna, where the city uses security camera systems to dispatch guards from Commissionaires based on the footage. He noted that well-trained private security could serve as valuable witnesses for RCMP investigations, much like law enforcement relies on loss prevention officers from retailers such as London Drugs or Shoppers Drug Mart.
Rappel also mentioned that, similar to police adopting body-worn cameras, private security is increasingly using technology that can assist police in identifying suspects.
Foley added that many DPG members often contact authorities in the morning, around 7 or 8 a.m., after incidents have already occurred overnight. He suggested that cameras could potentially be mounted on the security patrol vehicles, tying them into the city’s existing security camera pilot project.
Another committee member, John Zukowski, owner of Pacific Body Jewellery & Piercing, stressed the importance of offering appropriate pay for downtown security personnel to attract qualified candidates. He also noted that having bylaw officers patrol overnight could be difficult, as it would require negotiating changes to their union contract regarding hours and responsibilities.
“I see this as an opportunity for us to address an issue in our downtown business district without overburdening businesses with excessive taxes,” Zukowski said.
“The reality is, many businesses are already struggling with increased taxes and rental costs passed down by property owners, and now we have the added issue of crime. It’s becoming very expensive to keep the doors open.”
DPG executive director Colleen Van Mook, who is set to retire on May 2, expressed the desire for her organization to be involved in the program’s setup, citing its resources and experience working with private security.
“We want to be able to work with the RCMP and bylaw services,” said Van Mook. “This isn’t just about getting a quote from a security firm; it’s about creating a comprehensive program with the community to increase safety for our businesses and citizens.”
Babicz recommended that the first step in the process be for downtown businesses to submit an expression of interest. City council could then direct administration to begin analyzing costs and implementation plans.
He added that staff could work with DPG to draft the wording for the expression of interest.
At the start of the meeting, Karmjeet Manhas was introduced as the newest public member of the committee, replacing Robert Gagnon, who resigned from both the committee and Lheidli T’enneh First Nation council in early 2025.
Coun. Ron Polillo was absent from the meeting.
