Why did a ward Councillor feel she needed police protection

By Pepper Parr

February 9th, 2022

BURLINGTON, ON

An update:

Councillor Kearns said the following after reading our article.  “Safety of our community members is always a top priority, we were grateful to have the assistance by Halton Regional Police Services to briefly assist in the safe crossing at Martha St. and Lakeshore Road.

“This route proved safer than redirecting the group back to the controlled crosswalk at Pearl St. and Lakeshore Rd.

“This was proactively arranged given the unpredictability in group size due to the unrestricted invitation for interested community members to learn more about what is happening in relation to growth and development.”

The question now is:  Who paid for the police officer.

Why would a ward Councillor need or want police protection while showing a small group of residents last Saturday.

In the lower right hand corner of the picture below there is a police officer.  The jacket is not something you can buy at the Bay.

Lower left – looks like a police officer to me. Why would a city Councillor ask for a police presence?

Police do not attend events like this unless they are asked.

So – our question to Councillor |Kearns is – why did you feel you needed a police presence at your downtown tour last Saturday ?.

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10 comments to Why did a ward Councillor feel she needed police protection

  • Alan Harrington

    I was also among the group in the tour and glad to have two Halton police officers join us in a “fairweather” event in the community.

    Don’t forget the Ottawa/Toronto/Hamilton protests were happening at the same time – so who knows what Freedom Convoyers might have done to a group of citizens?

    This is the Councillor’s ward – and she is literally “talking the talk & walking the walk”.
    Her concern is a downtown Burlington that appeals to ALL the citizens.

    Creating new additional housing in Burlington is a requirement and it needs to be done in the best, quickest, most effective means possible, while still maintaining our city charm.

    As far as “jackets not from the Bay” (?) Those are normal vests for traffic duty and double duty layer of warmth on a brisk Canadian afternoon.

    Thank you Halton Police Services.

    Editor’s note: When we first saw the pictures we were very surprised to see a police officer as part of the crowd (there were less than 40 people). Why would a police officer be needed? Public safety? Now we learn there were two police officers needed to see people across a street.

    Public money – your money – put to good use – I guess.

    • Dave Turner

      As someone else has said here, the Editor is trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Likely trying to generate anti Councilor Kearns sentiment. Why he feels he must do that is the question to be answered.

      As the Councilor has stated there was an open invitation from Councilor Kearns to all residents of Burlington to join the tour. The Counilor did not know in advance what the attendance number would be. What if 100 had turned up and there had only been one police officer or even none? You can bet your bottom dollar the Editor would have been questioning the lack of a protective police presence and calling into question the Councilor’s judgement.

      As to the cost, one would assume this activity falls with a budgeted item with funds allocated to it for use at the Councilor’s discretion. So the cost was already contemplated and allocated if not specifically then in general concept.

      Please Editor, give it a rest.

    • Eve St Clair

      Seriously you were worried about possible protestors .!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stop watching the news then or stay inside your residence

  • Hilary Durrant

    Wow, there is a lot of hostility towards Councillor Kearns.
    In this article, there is a question of police protection! Where did that come from, one police officer helping a group of people to cross the road. That does not constitute police protection.
    Realistically, I would have thought that the police officer was initially there, as there was uncertainty as to how many people were going to attend and any add ons whilst group moved around the area. Moreover, if anyone had got hurt crossing the road, the question you would all be asking would be ‘Why wasn’t there a police officer safeguarding this group as it was a planned event.’
    Either way the Councillor is in a no win situation.

    • Bob

      I think should someone have been hurt, the question would have been “why were they jaywalking when there was a crossing a block away?” and “why was the jaywalking encouraged by the councilor?”

  • perryb

    Another molehill claimed to be a mountain

  • Dave Turner

    What is the Burlington Gazette becomming? The Burlington Enquirer maybe

    This no-story story along with the other no-story story “Councillor takes small group on a tour of Ground Zero – did she give them the complete story?” is Enquirer tabloid type journalism.

    What makes the Gazzette think Councilor Kearns did not give the complete story? What does it matter the reason a cop was on hand?

    Ms Hersh, negative as always!

  • Penny Hersh

    I think that hiring a police officer to cross the street at Martha and Lakeshore Road is overkill.

    There is a traffic light at Pearl and Lakeshore if they wanted to cross the road, or the group could have walked along Lakeshore Road to get to Martha Street.

    I would like to know how this is a good use of taxpayer dollars, when Councillor Kearns could have perhaps used her coyote whistle to stop traffic?

  • Marnie Hamilton

    I was with the group on Saturday and the police were there for stopping traffic as the group crossed the street where there were no lights (several places).