Mayoral candidates snipe over safety during radio debate

Public safety took centre stage during a sometimes fiery mayoral debate Wednesday in which Kevin Klein revealed he would have to raise property taxes to fund his plan to make Winnipeg safer.

The CJOB debate also included candidates Scott Gillingham and Mike Vogiatzakis, who were selected as the top contenders in the race based on polling data.

Klein noted he has promised to strike a task force on public safety and to hire more police, if he’s elected Oct. 28.

“We are 100 police officers short of the very bare minimum of the per capita (number) right now. We have to replace those officers,” said Klein, a former city councillor and Tory cabinet minister.

Klein estimated his plan to hire the additional officers would cost $3.99 per month, per taxpayer.

“We’re going to have to raise taxes. We are short police officers and we know from a recent Winnipeg police poll that Winnipeggers don’t feel we have enough police officers. We’ve got to be able to cover the calls we have,” he said.

Klein’s campaign team declined further comment Wednesday, while promising to release its fully costed platform on Friday.

Klein said he would have police cadets wait at hospitals with people who are in custody and require medical treatment, instead of police officers, to free up the more specialized, higher-paid officers for other calls.

“Let’s move the cadets into the hospitals so that we can do a handoff and we can get police cars back on the street,” said Klein.

Vogiatzakis called Klein a “recycled politician” for that response, noting hospital offloading delays have been a problem for many years. He said he would “get tough on crime” instead.

“Stop with the garbage. Stop with the catch-and-release program. Work with the (senior) governments,” he said.

Vogiatzakis added he’d also “instruct the police board, the police chief” to address the issue.

Klein challenged that claim, since Winnipeg’s mayor does not have the power to direct police operations.

“You don’t have the authority, Mike. You don’t understand. You don’t live in Winnipeg and you don’t have the authority,” he responded.

Vogiatzakis, whose primary residence is in St. Andrews, has said he will live in Winnipeg full-time, if elected.

Gillingham said data shows crime rates are going down but it’s critical to ensure Winnipeggers actually feel safe.

“I, too, have committed to adding more police officers. We have added more police officers in my term of office,” he said.

The incumbent said he would seek city council approval to gradually increase the number of police officers to about 196 per 100,000 residents, up from about 170 currently. That target would raise the number of police to 1,666 from about 1,443.

He also plans to add a fourth emergency response team to handle mental health calls to free up more time for officers.

Vogiatzakis said his pledge to create a three-year “cadet-to-career” apprenticeship program would help boost the response to property crimes and train staff who could fill future police positions.

Gillingham and Vogiatzakis have not revealed their taxation plans.

In 2022, Gillingham campaigned on raising property taxes 3.5 per cent each year. However, city council approved a 5.95 per cent hike in 2025 — its highest annual increase since the 1990s. At the time, the mayor said the city needed the revenue to balance its budget without cutting critical services.

The tax increase returned to 3.5 per cent in 2026.

Gillingham has said he will release a costed platform before election day.

The trio also shared their views on supervised drug consumption sites.

Gillingham said he’s hopeful Winnipeg’s site will get people off the street and into treatment, while calling for more spending on detox and long-term recovery.

Klein said supervised consumption must come with 24-hour support and immediate access to addictions treatment. He suggested the city could offer empty buildings to help expand treatment.

Vogiatzakis said the site, which is on Henry Avenue, should never have been added.

“It’s wrong, it’s killing the neighbourhood. It needs to be closed down,” he said.

Vogiatzakis said his campaign pledge to convert a large warehouse into 100 tiny apartments to provide transitional housing for people battling homelessness and/or addiction would be more effective.

The candidates were asked how they would address the perception of some residents that the North End does not receive “its fair share” of city investment, especially for recreation.

Gillingham noted his campaign pledge to seek a $60-million fund for community centres, for which he hopes the city, provincial and federal governments will each commit $20 million to fund.

He said a replacement for the North Winnipeg Nomads field, which was recently deemed unfit, is a prime candidate for that funding, while he would also seek a plan to revitalize north Main Street.

“I’ve made a commitment … to stop the decay on north Main Street,” said Gillingham.

Klein accused Gillingham of failing to maintain recreation facilities during his time on city council, noting the recent closures of the city-owned Terry Sawchuk and West Kildonan arenas as examples.

“They got shut down, so there’s ice time that’s not available to these kids,” said Klein.

He promised to redirect some funding intended for bike lanes to fix the aging rinks.

Several times during the debate, Vogiatzakis described himself as a political outsider who could spark change.

“I think that you need somebody new at city hall, somebody who’s not politically connected, somebody who’s going to make these changes and somebody who’s going to come in with a fresh perspective on what needs to happen,” he said.

Chris Clacio, Tracey Drexler, Johnny Calderon, Joshua Pagdato, Umar Hayat, Brad Gross, Don Woodstock, Mazher Alam and Noah Redden are also running for mayor.

joyanne.pursaga@winnipegfreepress.com

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