Kingston City Council is looking at hiring more police officers. That's good! But to do that they are considering disbanding our mounted police unit. That's wrong! We can and should keep our mounted unit AND hire new police officers. This is an important issue for our little downtown store and others. We had some thefts here at Martello Alley, including an Apple tablet that we used for our point of sale system. We were lucky - there has been a rash of vandalism and break-ins of our neighbouring businesses recently. And don't forget the violent attacks and other scary episodes. Through all this the Kingston Police have always been there to support and protect us. I think that it's time to stand up for them! This is what I sent to City Council and local media: I am very disappointed at the decision to disband the Kingston Police mounted unit. Not only is a mounted unit a high-profile and positive image for the police force, but because of the size and height, the police officer is very easily seen, and can easily see far more than a regular beat cop. Plus, a horse doesn’t burn fossil fuel! See this CKWS video from June 2018 for more info about the mounted unit and its advantages: https://globalnews.ca/video/4307028/downtown-kingston-business-owners-call-upon-horse-cop
As an owner of several properties as well as a downtown merchant, I am prepared to pay the extra cost to hire the additional officers and keep the mounted unit as well. Unfortunately our experience in this city, especially downtown, shows we need increased police presence, not cuts. The police board and Council should reconsider this decision. Who agrees?