Winnipeg's new police chief says crime in the city's downtown is becoming increasingly violent, but the service can't solve the complex issues that affect community safety on its own.

At a lunch event Thursday, a month after he was sworn into the role, Gene Bowers outlined his vision to members of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce.

He told business leaders they face an "entirely different landscape" from when he worked in security at the downtown Bay building in the 1980s, catching shoplifters.

"I …