People living around Toronto's Barbara Hall Park have had enough of the city's apparent complacency in the face of worsening violence and crime in the public square, which has included stabbings, thefts, break and enters, fights, open drug use, and last week, the deliberate shooting of someone's dog.

Community members have long been ringing alarm bells about the deterioration of the green space at Church and Wellesley, with multiple businesses in the area reporting repeated instances of vandalism with no resolution in sight.

Yeah all the local businesses are really struggling. Windows constantly broken

— currently gifted adult (@PanderShirts) September 28, 2023

One, a hardware store that's been a staple of the neighbourhood for nearly 100 years, said in July that it was shutting down over issues stemming from the park and an adjacent community centre, The 519.

The hub offers a range of programming; among it, supports for those struggling with substance abuse, housing and other basic needs. Some online say with so many requiring these services, there has been a spillover onto the centre's front steps and Barbara Hall next door, and with it, an uptick in disruptive activity.

Not the dog 😕

— GGZEnt (@GGZEnt) September 27, 2023

Despite a $1.5 million revitalization of the park in 2014, drug use and crime have been recurring complaints from those living in the area for years.

"Living beside the park we're exposed daily to screaming, things being smashed and threatening behaviour. Our house has been broken into and parking a car here overnight is risky. The park is not usable or even safe to walk through," one person wrote in a community Facebook group after the altercation that led to the killing of the dog last Tuesday night.

But, the problems persist, despite complaints to authorities and even public protests, with locals saying they feel unseen and unheard in the process. It echoes concerns in other areas of the city like Allan Gardens, which some living nearby likewise say they are afraid to enjoy or even walk through due to a seemingly permanent tent encampment.

Barbara Hall park is a place where criminals gather. Break & enters, thefts, harassment of families & seniors. The 519 is complicit by not executing trespass warrants. Local businesses can’t get insurance because of broken windows & vandalism. Safety is a right for EVERYONE.

— _license_to_trill (@critica13948310) July 30, 2023

While most would agree that more aid for unhoused and other vulnerable residents is needed at a systemic level, people are feeling frustrated that nothing is being done to help either group.

And, the disrespect of those who have broken into local businesses, accosted passersby, perpetrated acts of violence and vandalized property — such as an AIDS memorial in the park that was defaced in August — is eroding residents' tolerance.

Stabbing yesterday morning too

— 🛋 🥔 (rrboola.bsky.social) (@rrboola) September 27, 2023

"Empathy and treatment is a necessity [but] I think it's time the residents are also considered. Our concerns are falling on deaf ears. It's not one or the other. Expressing an opinion about residents' lack of rights and safety does not imply a lack of compassion," another neighbour wrote in the same Facebook discussion last week. 

And another, looking ahead: "There is no question the neighbourhood has become a violent place, with no meaningful help in sight."