By paNOW

Police Chief wants to extend bylaw services beyond P.A.

May 30, 2017 | 9:00 AM

Prince Albert’s Municipal Bylaw Enforcement Unit (MBEU) has been impressing the Chief of Police lately, so much so he’s considering offering bylaw services to neighbouring communities.

The MBEU, which consists of six Special Constables and one manager, tabled their 2016 annual report at this morning’s meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners. Over the past year the unit responded to more than 2,000 calls, seized 251 vehicles for outstanding fines, impounded nearly 500 stray animals and, according to Police Chief Troy Cooper, improved police visibility. 

“We’ve found incredible success in it. I haven’t had any reason to be critical of the bylaw unit,” Cooper said. “We’re building something that doesn’t exist elsewhere.”

Prince Albert’s MBEU is the only professional bylaw unit in Saskatchewan, Cooper said, which means they can take advantage of police resources such as surplus vehicles and a shared dispatch centre to accomplish a lot on the street without a massive budget of their own. Cooper said this sometimes blurs the financial lines between the MBEU and regular police, but it’s a fair trade for the significant operational savings.

Because many nearby communities do not have a local police force, Cooper said, the costs for them to create their own bylaw enforcement team would be prohibitive. Many have inquired about Prince Albert’s MBEU extending its services beyond the city limits.

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“We’ve had that question asked of us for many years,” Cooper said. “We need to have that discussion and we need to have it soon.”

Cooper said the department needs to conduct a full review to determine the actual cost of any contracted bylaw enforcement before any decisions are made.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews