North Bay's Police Chief insists residents in the northeast end of North Bay should have no safety fears after last week's shooting.
Chief Daryl Longworth commented on the issue after Tuesday's Police Board meeting.
"I can certainly understand their worry and concern as a result of the shooting that took place on June 5," Longworth told BayToday.
The shooting took place after midnight in the schoolyard of the catholic Holy Cross Elementary School in the Birchaven/Sage Road section of the city, with portions of low-income housing on the northeast end of North Bay.
See related: Neighbourhood living in fear after schoolyard shooting says resident
See related: Attempted murder charge laid in schoolyard shooting
It's located just a couple of blocks from million-dollar homes in the Delaney Bay area of Trout Lake.
A woman who lives in the Birchaven section of the city, says her neighbourhood is gripped with fear after a shooting in a schoolyard sent a 19-year-old to the hospital in serious condition last week
A 21-year-old North Bay man has been arrested and faces an attempted murder charge as well as numerous gun-related charges.
She told BayToday the shooting will not be a one-off event in the area.
"You know, how many guns are in the area, and how many have been hidden under the bed that haven't been registered? Nobody's comfortable and we haven't been for a long time," said the woman who did not want to be identified.
However, Longworth believes the event is an isolated incident and gun crime is not on the rise in North Bay.
"I do want to assure the people in that community, people in the public and people across North Bay that this is a safe community," insisted Longworth, who took over the police chief role in North Bay from Scott Tod in March.
"We have looked at the numbers and the data around firearms offences in the community. Those numbers have not increased over the last five years we have looked at, in fact, we have seen a bit of a decrease in 2023 and so far this year there seems to be a bit of a decrease in the first four months."
Longworth says the service has responded to the concerns within the neighbourhood by sending additional resources into that area of the city.
"We have put extra officers out in that community on foot patrol just to talk to some of the residents in the community and talk to them about their fears and their perceptions. We will continue to do what we can to make sure that this community remains safe," said Longworth.
"The gun offences that have taken place, for the most part, we have apprehended the people, but just overall to reassure the community that this is still a safe community when you look at the numbers. Gun crime has not increased and we will continue to do our part to make sure the community stays safe."
