Thunder Bay Police recorded 78 arrests, 89 accepted social-service referrals and more than 9,100 public contacts during Project Support

TBPS says visible patrols will continue in Thunder Bay’s downtown and commercial areas following the pilot project

THUNDER BAY – THUNDER BAY NEWS – A five-month Thunder Bay Police Service initiative targeting public-safety concerns in the city’s downtown cores and busy commercial areas has concluded with 78 arrests and more than 9,100 interactions with businesses and members of the public.

Project Support began on April 20, 2026, as a pilot initiative in Thunder Bay’s north and south downtown cores.

The project combined visible foot and vehicle patrols with enforcement, business outreach, wellness checks and referrals to community and social-service agencies.

As the project continued, police expanded the patrol area in response to repeated calls for service at other high-activity commercial locations. Additional resources were assigned to the Memorial Avenue and Dawson Road areas beginning July 9.

Project Support Results

Thunder Bay Police reported the following results during the project:

• More than 9,100 interactions with businesses and members of the public;
• 343 social-service referrals offered;
• 89 social-service referrals accepted;
• 78 arrests; and
• 74 provincial offence notices issued.

The referral numbers show that officers offered assistance more frequently than it was accepted. Approximately 26 per cent of the referrals offered during the project were accepted.

TBPS did not provide a breakdown of the charges connected to the 78 arrests or identify how many arrests resulted from outstanding warrants.

Police Units Worked Together

Project Support was led by the TBPS Operational Support Unit, with officers assigned from Community Services and the Emergency Task Unit.

Additional assistance came from Primary Response officers, the Break, Enter and Robbery Unit, Investigative Services and Special Constables.

Police say the combined approach increased officer visibility, helped with investigations and warrant enforcement, and allowed officers to respond more quickly when problems emerged in the expanded patrol areas.

The project was designed to balance enforcement with support. Along with arrests and provincial offence notices, officers conducted wellness checks, provided medical assistance and connected people with community agencies.

Participation in the social-service referral process was voluntary.

Responding to Business and Community Concerns

Businesses in Thunder Bay’s north and south downtown cores have repeatedly raised concerns about theft, vandalism, drug activity, public intoxication, aggressive behaviour and people experiencing mental-health or addiction crises.

Similar concerns have been reported in commercial areas along Memorial Avenue and Dawson Road.

High-visibility patrols can provide a more immediate police presence, but enforcement alone cannot resolve homelessness, addiction, mental illness and poverty. Those issues require continued work by police, governments, health-care providers, housing agencies and community organizations.

The number of people who declined referrals also illustrates the difficulty of connecting vulnerable residents with services. A referral can only help when appropriate services are available and the person is prepared to accept the assistance.

Visible Patrols Will Continue

While Project Support has ended as a formal pilot, Thunder Bay Police say visible patrols will continue in the city’s commercial areas.

TBPS says the final results demonstrate the value of sustained proactive policing across the original downtown patrol zones and the expanded Thunder Centre and Dawson Road areas.

The next step will be determining whether the project produced lasting improvements in public safety.

Future reporting should examine whether calls for service declined in the targeted areas, whether businesses and residents felt safer, how many arrests resulted in charges or convictions, and whether people who accepted referrals remained connected to housing, treatment or other supports.

Those measurements will help determine whether Project Support should become a permanent policing model or be adjusted before another deployment.