Denying Increased Crime

Ever notice that when Proponents, the Casino KoolAid consumers, want to justify Predatory Gambling, they deny the INCREASED CRIME even when statistics prove otherwise?

Toronto casino: In 2001 crime was a concern at Woodbine. Has anything changed?

After slot machines came to Woodbine in 2000, police warned about crime. Today, as council ponders approving a large casino, the message has changed.

 

By:Paul MoloneyCity Hall Bureau reporter, Published on Fri Apr 19 2013

 

Slot machines had been operating less than a year at Woodbine racetrack when Toronto police asked city council to fund an extra 18 officers to handle the increased workload.
 

“The historical information indicates that gaming facilities can generate social and crime issues in a community,” the police said then, even quoting Donald Trump that gambling brings crime.

In explaining the 2001 request for council to fund more officers, police managers said the racetrack area saw a 29 per cent hike in violent crime to 162 incidents in 2000 versus 126 the previous year. Property crime rose to 755 incidents in 2000 from 651 in 1999.

Police said the introduction of 1,700 slot machines in March, 2000 — later increased to 3,000 machines — was a “contributing factor” in the spike.
 

Fast forward to today, with Mayor Rob Ford’s administration pushing hard for a large casino in the city with perhaps 1,500 slots and 400 table games, and the message has changed.

Chief Bill Blair, at the request of the city manager, appeared before council’s executive committee chaired by the mayor to say crime at Woodbine hasn’t gone up appreciably since the slots arrived.
 

“There’s no statistical trend that indicates there’s been an increase in either violent criminal activity or property criminal activity in that area over that period of time,” Blair said.

Blair dismissed one estimate given to the executive committee that a large casino, now under consideration, could mean $50 million to $100 million in annual policing costs.

Toronto now has had 13 years of experience with Woodbine slots — one of the busiest gaming floors in North America — and police report few problems, said Rod Phillips, president of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp.

“In fact, many police chiefs will say that the facilities we run are among the safest because of the security that’s there, because of the surveillance that’s there,” Phillips said. [This is INSIDE the Gambling Facility.]

“So I think Chief Blair’s contribution was probably just reflecting that same experience here in Toronto.”

What does it mean if Toronto — or another GTA municipality — approves a casino? Will crime rates climb?

Hard to say and it depends on who you ask.
 

Toronto Councillor Joe Mihevc, who pressed Blair on the point at the committee hearing, said he thinks a large casino will bring crime problems.
 

“I believe that and I think most Torontonians would believe that,” Mihevc said. “It’s not a belief based on nothing, it’s based on friends and family members who’ve gotten involved in gambling, sometimes over their heads, and have done things that are illegal.
 

“And they wouldn’t have done those things if they weren’t struggling with this addiction.”

Councillor Peter Milczyn, a Ford ally who represents an Etobicoke ward, said Woodbine has not been a problem.
 

“Over the years, I’ve never heard anybody, police or residents or businesses, raise any concerns that there is any particular criminal activity associated in or around Woodbine,” Milczyn said.

The request for extra police was mainly due to the fact that the slots attract thousands of players every day, and extra police are needed as they would be wherever large crowds gather, he said.
 

Blair agreed, in his presentation to the executive committee.
 

“I might anticipate that if we were going to have any kind of public venue in Toronto that would attract a large number of people, it could have an impact on policing costs for that location,” the chief said.

The earlier request for extra officers for Woodbine said examples of police calls include medical complaints, unwanted guests, accidents, persons wanted, thefts and impaired driving.
 

Blair said he hasn’t been asked to report on the cost of policing a large casino, but he couldn’t provide even a rough estimate at this point.

“We have no sense at this time of scale or scope or location and so I don’t have anything on the back of an envelope,” he said. “I think we’d be reluctant to pull a number out of the air and it would just be a number pulled from the air.”

The executive committee voted 9-4 to tell Ontario Lottery and Gaming that the city is interested in the casino opportunity. Council is to decide whether to grant conditional consent next month.
 

City manager Joe Pennachetti said a report on policing costs would be available before council makes a final decision late this year or early 2014.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/04/19/toronto_casino_in_2001_crime_was_a_concern_at_woodbine_has_anything_changed.html

18 extra police officers needed at Woodbine after slot machines added