EDITORIAL: Hamilton needs a stronger policing presence
Folks in Hamilton want more police patrols after a rash of recent break-ins.
Separated from the rest of the city by miles and miles of farmland, City Centre, Hamilton residents must feel like they are in Ontario sometimes.
Hamilton is the eastern-most part of Richmond. It used to be sparsely inhabited, but development has been encouraged there over the past 25 years.
Services are slowly following suit: a firehall was built and the library is offering outreach services.
But it’s a long drive along the East-West Connector before the police arrive.
The solution is building a mini-community police station, where officers could do some administrative work.
But Richmond should look beyond its borders.
Next door to Hamilton is the community Queensborough—on Lulu Island, but part of New Westminster. It too is separated from the rest of the city, in this case by the Fraser River. Surely those residents get a bit of separation anxiety from time to time.
Richmond and New Westminster should investigate joint policing. While Richmond is RCMP and New West has its own city force, there’s surely some room for co-operation in policing these far-flung communities.
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