Sgt. Rob Chabot of the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service says it was complaints from neighbours surrounding noise, suspicious activity and drug use at a house in the city’s west end that prompted the relatively new Integrated Municipal Enforcement Team (IMET) to take action in late October.
Following up on a report of a gas leak, police worked with the City of Sault Ste. Marie and partnering agencies to have the house at 295 First Ave. boarded up after discovering clothing, property, drug paraphernalia – and a single, lit candle – inside the vacant building. The property owner now faces numerous bylaw infractions.
“It’s pretty apparent that it wasn’t safe for the occupants, and it wasn’t safe for the fine people that live here on First Avenue,” said Chabot, speaking to members of the local media at the property Wednesday morning. “Let’s be honest. It’s an eyesore.”
The police service says IMET hasn’t had to dispossess anyone from their home as of yet. But if it comes down to that, Chabot told reporters, social services will ensure that no person goes without shelter.
“I do not want to remove people from their homes – that is their house, that is their shelter, and that’s the best place to be, especially when we’re in the middle of a pandemic right now,” Chabot said.
According to chief building official Freddie Pozzebon, the city's public works and engineering services department is currently tabulating the number of vacant buildings in the Sault that have become unsafe for use.
“I think it’s a good thing,” said Pozzebon, referring to the work currently being done by the enforcement team. “In the last several years we’ve had a lot of vacant homes, people going in and out.”
“We’re always on the tail-end of it, I guess you could say, boarding these places up. So if IMET gets involved sooner, we can get to the problem before it gets worse than what it is now.”
The municipal enforcement team has been in preliminary discussions with agencies about the possibility of taking buildings, like the one at 295 First Avenue, and converting them into affordable housing.
“These houses are boarded up – we’re hoping to turn them into something good,” Chabot said.
Sault Ste. Marie Police Service is reminding the public that concerns over property issues should always be directed to the appropriate agencies first, not police.
“If you’re having problems with a fire code violation, or you’re having problems with your landlord, or you’re having any problems with bylaw enforcement outside, I still would like to stress that you need to contact those agencies first, and go through that route prior to calling the police department, because we need to get started, and that’s where it gets started from,” Chabot said.
The municipal enforcement team has now completed investigations into three properties since early September.
