Hamilton City Hall is the latest downtown property to have broken windows.
One of the thick windows was recently broken. [City Hall has not released any information.]
The most plausible explanation is someone intentionally struck the window with an object.
Broken windows are now a regular occurrence across Hamilton’s downtown.
There are calls to adopt a broken windows theory approach to crime prevention in Downtown Hamilton.
[Read the Wikipedia article linked for a very brief summary of the debate regarding broken windows theory.]
Other Recent Broken Windows that I’ve Spotted
On Wednesday, I saw the RBC bank branch in Gore Park has a boarded-up window.
A few weeks ago, on August 5th, the Giant Tiger on Cannon Street had two broken windows, which cost the retailer thousands of dollars to replace.
Police followed and arrested the individual who smashed the Giant Tiger windows. They were known to police and had committed other acts of vandalism in the neighbourhood.
Ultimately, broken windows add to the cost of operating a business downtown. Combined with retail theft, these increased costs could lead to business closures in the medium and long-term.
Veterans Place Vandalized
One of the display panels at Hamilton’s Veterans Place has also been smashed in.
Hamilton Police will add four officers to its dedicated downtown beat patrol beginning in September, adding to the current complement of two dedicated officers.
Production Details v. 1.0.0 Published: August 27, 2024 Last updated: August 27, 2024 Author: Joey Coleman Update Record v. 1.0.0 original version