Call volumes for the Downtown Community Safety Partnership have grown 20-fold from its first full year in operation to last year — as theft, vandalism and violence remain rampant in Winnipeg’s core.

The numbers released this week by the Downtown BIZ indicate calls to the partnership soared from 505 in 2021 to 10,441 last year.

The partnership, established in April 2020, has been funded by government and private grants. Its teams conduct outreach on the streets and do well-being checks, among other duties, in an effort to keep the area safe.

DCSP executive director Greg Burnett, a retired Winnipeg police officer, said the increase in calls indicates growing trust of the effort in the neighbourhood, while the need for help persists.

“There’s a lot of work to do,” said Burnett. “But it is

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