Rant of the Day: Police at Bank and Somerset

From Knitnut.net : **

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So now that we’ve increased the police budget and hired more cops, what are we going to do with them? ... Well, how about that fiasco at Somerset and Bank? The intersection has been closed in four directions for four weeks, ever since the interior of the old Ritz Hotel caved in. Not only is it closed, but it’s heavily guarded by 1-4 police officers at all times. At first it was usually two cruisers and two officers; now it’s more commonly one of each. But when you think about it, a permanent round-the-clock police presence is a crazy lot of money.

Why do we need a full-time police presence there anyway? They just seem to be doing the job of security guards. I’ve seen it at other construction sites too - a bored-looking officer sitting in an idling car all day, doing nothing, just putting in their time.

It’s not their fault, they’re just doing their jobs. But surely the security guard type jobs could be handled by less expensive and less skilled labour?
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How expensive? According to Councillor Diane Holmes, the police protection at Bank and Somerset will end up costing several hundred thousand dollars.

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Related: ** Ottawa Emergency Services Guide