Queen Street businesses are hoping to bring back privately funded security patrols until a new downtown police station is established and fully operational.
Nicholas Rosset, chair of the Downtown Association, told a meeting of the business group's board Wednesday night that the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service has selected a location for its new core-area presence, but will need time to get it fully operational.
"Police services are moving forward with a station downtown and a police presence permanently downtown," Rosset said.
"However, it's time-consuming in the preparation of the station and the [Ontario Police College] only outputs so many officers and they need a minimum to operate this office.
"So realistically, we won't be seeing a lot of increase to our police service downtown until hopefully mid-summer."
Rosset was then asked whether city police have selected a location for their new downtown station.
"That shouldn't be for me to announce but I've been told yes," he responded.
"It looks like it's all moving forward and it should be a big benefit to our membership and community. But again, it's going to take some time."
The association has paid in recent years for private security patrols downtown but the city took over that responsibility.
Last year, the city paid the full cost of the private protection.
A draft budget approved by the Downtown Association board on Wednesday includes $6,000 for private security patrols in 2024.
"We haven't got quotes or figures from any company yet," Rosset said. "It's a process we would have to undertake if we decided to move forward with that."
"The contract that the city has been running the last year has terminated. They've expressed that they will not be continuing it moving forward, mostly because the police are moving forward with their part of that.
"The dynamic patrols are continuing but they don't have the manpower to staff it as well as it should be," Rosset said.
The preliminary budget will be presented to the association's annual general meeting next month for approval.
The Downtown Association's budget requires final approval from the city.
The board also wants to set aside cash to rebrand itself with a new logo and possibly a new name.