Rideau Centre police hub on pace to open in late May

UPDATE | On May 21, Ottawa police said the downtown hub should be "fully operational"by June 3.

Ottawa's police chief says the service's new downtown hubshould open in late May as a multi-pronged plan to tackle social problems in the areashifts gears.

Some business owners and residentsinthe ByWard Market and Lowertown have complained the area is declining, and blame people stealing, asking for money and sleeping outside among the factors that ledthem there.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and Ontario Premier Doug Ford said last monththe city's downtown is less vibrantthan it once was as they detailed a spending plan to change that.

Accessing that money requires a city plan to improve safety, and Chief Eric Stubbs came to Monday's police board meeting with details of what he calls a key part of that.

Stubbs said police have taken possession of a ground-floor unit in the Rideau Centrethat fronts onto Rideau Street, which will becomeits new "neighbourhood operations centre."

His reportframesthathub as the physical baseof thefive-part community outreach plan that also includes a mental health and housing outreachpartnership, a community advisory board and targeted enforcement to deter crime.

Thecommunity support group of more than 30 members first met last week.

It's focusing on the ByWard Market and Rideau Street, but can take on cases anywhere in Ottawa "to disrupt ongoing cycles of criminalization."

"[The group is]going to look at some of the more problematic folks that we have in that area and see if they can strategizehow to get them on a more positive path,be it getting a house, addictions treatment,mental health interventions to try tomanage them more positively thana criminal justice system," Stubbs told reporters before the meeting.

Stubbs said a number of programs will be formally launched around the time the hub opens.

If the model works, Stubbs saidit can be used to help improveother parts of the city.

Ottawa Morning7:21Ottawa police chief outlines 5-part plan to address downtown crime

The services new Rideau Centre hub will open late next month and serve as the base of operations for the new strategy. Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stphanie Plante told us what she thinks itll do for her ward.