Two officers, 5 weapon detector scanners at HSC starting Nov. 1

The provincial government says Winnipeg police officers will be stationed around the clock at Manitoba’s largest hospital starting on Nov. 1.

The start date was confirmed late Friday by Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara’s principal secretary, Emily Coutts.

On Sept. 9, Asagwara announced that two uniformed officers will be posted 24-7 in the emergency department at Health Sciences Centre to respond to rising levels of violence.

The minister, who was not available to comment Friday, said earlier the provincially funded, 24-7 police presence “will give front-line staff, including nurses, the peace of mind they need to focus on delivering care to their patients.”

Manitoba justice officials met with Winnipeg Police Service Chief Gene Bowers on Thursday to discuss the plan, Coutts said Friday.

When asked for details about the arrangement, such as where the two uniformed officers will be drawn from, Coutts deferred to the police service.

The WPS did not respond to a request for comment.

In addition to providing funding for two around-the-clock uniformed officers, the province is covering the cost of five weapon detection scanners at each of the HSC’s five main public entrances.

Coutts said Friday that the scanners have been ordered. The new security measures are expected to cost $2.3 million.

After being informed about the Nov. 1 start date, Manitoba Nurses Union president Darlene Jackson responded: “It’s good to see a date of when this will happen.”

Earlier Friday, the union said it hadn’t been given a timeline for police to be in the emergency department.

“We’ve requested details, but have not yet received any,” Jackson said.

She said it appeared the province had announced the plan before working out the details.

“I believe that the announcement was made fairly prematurely — that there hadn’t been appropriate discussion between the Winnipeg Police Service and the government,” said Jackson.

MNU members at HSC voted in early August to “grey list” the inner-city hospital over nagging security concerns after four women and a teenage girl were sexually assaulted on or near the hospital on July 2. Grey-listing advises current and prospective members not to work at a facility because of unsafe or inappropriate conditions.

Jackson said Friday that safety concerns at the Health Sciences Centre persist, and the the grey-listing wouldn’t be lifted.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca