NEWS RELEASE
GUELPH POLICE
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Project Safe Semester a success
Project Safe Semester is a collaboration involving the City of Guelph, Guelph Police Service, Guelph By-Law Enforcement, Guelph Fire Department, Downtown Guelph Business Association, Alcohol and Gaming Commission Of Ontario-Investigation and Enforcement Bureau, Guelph Transit, Public Works, various other City Departments, Guelph-Wellington Emergency Services, Central Students Association and the University of Guelph. Since 2012, Project Safe Semester has teamed these stakeholders to address the late night issues in the downtown core and in residential neighbourhoods which have a high concentration of student housing.
How do the numbers look?
Drinking and driving numbers since 2012 have stayed at a high level averaging between 14 and 17 incidents during the project.
Open alcohol infractions have gone from 591 tickets issued in 2012 to 117 this year.
In 2015 we had 392 Noise Complaints. This year the number dropped to 289 which is about the average over the five years of the program. This year we did start tracking how many tickets were issued under the noise bylaw for noisy parties as well as under the nuisance bylaw. 16 noise violations were issued and 8 violations under the nuisance bylaw were issued.
Public urination was at its worst in 2012 when 141 tickets were issued. The numbers over the last few years have come way down and this year we issued 31 tickets.
In 2015 we started tracking how many tickets were being issued for age of evidence violations. (Fake ID’s) We issued 26 this year and 25 last year.
In 2014 Project Safe Semester started to close the downtown area for vehicular traffic. Cars in the tow away zone would be ticketed starting at 10pm and towed if still there after 11pm. Compliance to the tow away zone has improved over the three years with over 200 tickets issued in the first two years and only 158 tickets issued this year. In 2014 117 vehicles were towed, the number dropped to 52 last year and 43 this year.
2016 was a successful Safe Semester campaign and we will we continue to ensure all residents are safe and respectful of our neighbourhoods throughout the year.
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