STATUS QUO IS GONE.
How did we get here?
Public safety cannot begin and end with responding to a crisis after it happens.
We need to prevent the crisis in the first place.
11 PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVES
Niagara Falls needs a public safety system built around prevention, accountability, strong neighbourhoods and respect for the people on the front lines. Police, firefighters, paramedics and community partners should not be left dealing with the same crises after they have already reached the breaking point.
Eleven initiatives. One goal: a safer Niagara Falls for everyone.
Public safety is the first responsibility of government.
01
Support Niagara Regional Police
Our police officers are the heroes. They confront situations most people never have to face, and they deserve leadership that stands behind them.
As Mayor, I will be present. I want to walk the halls, meet officers face-to-face, listen to their concerns and understand the challenges they face on the front line.
Police officers' health – heart, mind and body – will be a priority. We cannot protect the public properly if we fail to protect the people responsible for protecting us.
I will work with Niagara Regional Police leadership, Niagara Region and the Police Service Board to deliver the resources and working conditions our officers need.
Leadership starts by showing up.
NOT ON MY WATCH.
02
Mayor on the Front Line
As Mayor, I will meet with Niagara Regional Police and first responders every day.
Police, firefighters and first responders are the heroes of our community. They deserve our respect, support and a Mayor who listens to them.
Public safety is one of the largest responsibilities and expenses of local government. I want direct, regular contact with the people doing the work – what they're seeing, what isn't working, where resources are being wasted and what they need to keep themselves and the community safe.
Leadership starts by showing up.
03
Homelessness & Addiction Recovery Boot Camp
THE TRILLION DOLLAR HUMAN GRITTY BOOTCAMP
GET OUT OF YOUR HEAD AND INTO MOTHER NATURE
Compassion is not leaving someone suffering on the sidewalk. Public safety and human dignity are not competing goals.
For people who have hit rock bottom through homelessness, addiction, trauma, anxiety or severe financial insecurity, we need a radically different path back. My proposal is a revolutionary, nature-based recovery program that gets people off the streets and into a structured environment built around heart healing and physical health.
This is functional healing in Mother Nature – not institutional living and not endless crisis management. The goal is to help people move beyond survival and reconnect with themselves: their bodies, their purpose, their community and, for those who understand it this way, the deepest source within themselves.
This will be a real boot camp – functional training for life, not a delicate-vase environment. No hot water. Nature doesn't guarantee comfort, and neither does life.
We will rebuild resilience through structure, responsibility, movement, nature, meaningful work and personal accountability.
Get people off the streets. Get them out of survival mode. Give them a real path back to good health, purpose and natural good vibes.
04
Restore Law & Order
Help the person. Protect the public space. We can do both.
Public safety requires clear expectations, consistent enforcement and accountability. People experiencing addiction or homelessness deserve help, while residents and businesses deserve safe streets, parks and neighbourhoods.
05
Successful Newcomer Integration
Successful integration strengthens community cohesion.
Let's stop isolation, exploitation and radicalization.
06
Make Niagara Falls a Hostile Place for Human Traffickers
Work with police and community organizations to combat human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable people. Niagara Falls must protect those at risk, including international students, temporary foreign workers and refugees.
07
Mayors Consigliere
in the Community
The Mayor needs to hear what's happening before it becomes a crisis.
Direct access to the Mayor's Office. Real problems. Real people. Real resolutions. Neighbourhood disputes should not be left to fester.
Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to noon at the McBain Centre.
Mayors Consigliere in the Community is also Project 08 in my Top 10 Projects for Niagara Falls.
08
Mayor Youth Club & Decompression Zone
Decompress. Belong. Connect.
Every young person deserves a place where they are valued for who they are – not for what can be sold to them or made from them.
The Mayor Youth Club & Decompression Zone is all about the power of now. A regular place for young people to connect, move, talk, laugh, learn and build meaningful relationships with mentors and each other.
No sales pitch. No agenda. Just genuine human connection, positive energy and a place to belong.
Strong connections build strong young people. Strong young people build safer communities.
Mayor Youth Club & Decompression Zone is also Project 09 in my Top 10 Projects for Niagara Falls.
09
Youth Jobs, Sport & Community Opportunities
Sports build bodies. Competition builds character. Community builds belonging.
Every young person deserves opportunities to move, compete, work, learn and contribute.
A Lucid administration will work with local businesses, sports organizations, community groups and mentors to create more pathways into jobs, recreation, competition, mentorship and meaningful community involvement.
It takes a village. Strong communities give young people validation, responsibility, mentorship and the opportunity to discover what they're capable of.
Invest in our youth now. Build a stronger Niagara Falls for the future.
10
Nationally Funded Transnational Crime Task Force
Local taxpayers should not carry the cost of fighting national and international criminal networks.
Niagara Falls faces criminal activity that does not respect local, provincial or international borders. Human trafficking, organized crime, illicit drugs, financial crime and other multi-jurisdictional threats require intelligence, resources and enforcement capabilities far beyond a local police mandate.
I will push Ottawa and Queen's Park for dedicated funding and coordinated enforcement against transnational crime affecting Niagara Falls. NRPS should be able to concentrate local resources on local public safety while properly funded provincial and federal partners pursue criminal networks wherever they lead.
Respect law and order. Fund the agencies responsible. Demand measurable results.
Advocacy of violence has no place in Niagara Falls.
Let's confront violent jihadist extremism and every other form of violent extremism.
This is not about someone's ethnicity or origin. Whatever your background, the standard is the same.
EVOLUTIONARY VALUES mean moving forward together — toward greater freedom, dignity, equality and respect for every individual.
11
Prevent Extremism & Radicalization
This is about values. Our values evolve as humanity evolves.
Canada moves forward — toward greater freedom, equality, dignity and respect for every individual. We do not move backward.
In Niagara Falls, everyone is entitled to the same freedom, dignity and safety. Equality between women and men, freedom of religion and expression, tolerance, democracy and respect for the rule of law are Canadian values.
The equal dignity and safety of women is non-negotiable. Freedom of religion is non-negotiable. Freedom from religious coercion is non-negotiable.
Conclusion
Public safety is not just policing. It is prevention, intervention, recovery, opportunity, enforcement and community.
We can help people in crisis without surrendering our streets. We can protect human dignity while maintaining public order. We can give young people better opportunities before problems begin. And when serious criminal networks or violent extremism threaten Niagara Falls, we can demand the resources, accountability and enforcement necessary to confront them.
Compassion and accountability. Prevention and enforcement. Human dignity and public order.
Status quo is gone. There is a better way.
I want to hear from the people who live these issues every day. Tell me what I'm getting right, what I'm missing and what you would change.
Connect with Michael
Leadership begins with listening. Whether you have questions about the campaign, want to volunteer, or simply want to discuss local issues, I want to hear from you. Together, we can build a stronger future for Niagara Falls.
strongniagara@outlook.com
Location
Niagara Falls, Ontario