In the continued effort to improve safety across the City of Brampton, Councillor Rowena Santos has been working to address the concerns residents have shared about open drug use and other illegal activities beneath the Nelson Street bridge.
As of July 14th 2026, the following initiatives were led and completed by Councillor Santos and the City of Brampton in addressing these issues:
Enhanced Safety Initiatives
As of July 8th, 2026, Security Services launched a one-month enhanced patrol initiative to better monitor and respond to illegal activity in the area.
As part of this initiative, six additional security guards have been deployed to City-owned properties (including parking garages, transit terminals, transit stops, and other identified hotspots) to provide a more visible and proactive security force, 12 hours a day, 7 days a week.
These enhanced patrols are focused on addressing loitering, aggressive panhandling, public intoxication, drug use, trespassing, encampments, and other quality-of-life concerns shared by residents.
Security personnel at these hotspots will emphasize de-escalation, voluntary compliance, and connections to community support services, while taking enforcement action when required.
Peel Regional Police will also be supporting City Security Services during this initiative through a coordinated approach focused on increased visibility and support for incidents requiring police intervention. Peel Police will continually monitor the area and directly intervene in incidents beyond the authority of Security Services.
Additionally, high-resolution cameras have been installed inside bus shelters for Security Services to monitor and respond to issues in real time.
Additional Improvements
- Large debris and couches have been removed from beneath the bridge and alongside the boulevard.
- All lighting in the area has been inspected and is currently fully operational, ensuring visibility.
- Parks and Roads staff have coordinated efforts to remove the flowerbed on the southeast corner of Main Street and Nelson Street East, as well as the retaining wall.
- The areas behind the Züm shelters under the CN tracks have been closed, and the City is working alongside Metrolinx to address activities occurring on Metrolinx’s section of privately owned property.
Councillor Santos continues to advocate for both solutions to the safety concerns brought forth by residents and for better support systems for individuals affected by housing insecurity. This includes better accessibility to reporting crime, clearer pathways for residents to share information with police, and enhanced social support systems for individuals impacted by housing insecurity.
Councillor Santos and the City of Brampton continue to be committed to ensuring that residents’ sense of safety improves, working towards building a more proactive, responsive, and safer security network that accommodates our growing city’s needs.
Latest Update (July 27th, 2026):
Please see the latest updates, in addition to the update provided a couple of weeks back:
- Transit has installed fencing behind both Zum shelters to make the area safer and stop unauthorized access.
- Councillor Santos joined staff for an on-site meeting with transit staff, Metrolinx, Corporate Security, Peel Regional Police, Public Works, and Parks to address concerns on the Metrolinx property under the steps of the rail bridge.
- Metrolinx has installed additional fencing to secure their property, and it was finished on Sunday, July 26th, 2026.
- During the construction weekend, a Paid Duty Officer was on site to help keep the work area safe and assist with removing unauthorized people if needed.
- Following the completion of the fencing, Metrolinx is closely monitoring the station, especially during the Monday morning rush hour.
- Councillor Santos has requested for the sidewalk/alley between the construction of the HiRise Development and the bridge on the east side of Nelson approaching Union will be closed for parks to maintain the trees, clean the space and also due to construction. An update on this should follow next week.
- The area continues to be actively monitored by police and city security as per the previous update.
- A photo of the planned fencing and the work plan is included below for reference.
