PEDESTRIAN SAFETY AROUND STOREFRONT
The site’s physical orientation is well suited to facilitate pedestrian access. The only potential safety concern is clustering of patrons in large groups on the public sidewalk near the entrance. This could inhibit other pedestrians to safely pass by and also cause some individuals to spill over onto the adjacent roadway. A well thought out crowd control plan by the applicant is required to ensure a high level of ongoing safety of the public is maintained, inclusive of clearly demonstrating how the safety of passing pedestrians not attending the store will be established and maintained.
ACCESS CONTROL TO & FROM BUILDING
The safety of this particular business operation (Cannabis retail store) is greatly influnced by how customer access control is carried out. Safety in this regard will be optimized the more visually accountable such access is conducted. A situationally unique variable in this particular case is the presence of the back alley. No public access should be permitted from this alley building entry point and the applicant will need to demonstrate their ability to ensure patrons do not loiter within this space.
Summary of Police Incident Data at Sites Within the Immediate Area
An examination of police incident response data for the 300 block of Ouellette Avenue where the store is to be located was examined. The data revealed the following:
| YEAR | NUMBER OF POLICE CALLS: 300 Block of Ouellette Avenue |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 400 |
| 2018 | 505 |
| 2019 | 437 |
| 2020 | 98 (as of May 15th) |
| Yearly Average | 447 police calls |
Call load is very heavy. The nature of incidents was widely varied but included such activity as assaults, disorderly conduct, threats/harassment, alarm activations, vandalism, fights, drugs, breaking and entering, suspicious persons and vehicles, thefts, motor vehicle accidents, etc.
In recognition of this existing criminogenic profile, it will be important to ensure any police-generated activity arising out of the operation of the new Cannabis retail store can be properly managed to maintain public safety for the area.