By battlefordsNOW

Battlefords RCMP meet with stakeholders to set out community safety priorities

Apr 18, 2018 | 6:00 PM

Battlefords RCMP met with local officials and stakeholders Wednesday to learn more about the law-enforcement needs in the region as part of the RCMP’s annual performance planning work.

“I think as the year unfolds you are going to see a lot of new initiatives in the Battlefords,” RCMP Insp. John Sutherland said. “With the support of the city and our rural partners, we’ve been able to do a lot of that.”

A number of community partners, including First Nations representatives, were invited to attend the event and offer input on their policing needs.

“We take the priorities of our local communities and we build that into a document we call our annual performance plan,” Sutherland said. “We use that document throughout the year.”

People attending the event completed a survey to indicate their satisfaction with the police service and outline their own priorities. 

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One of the issues raised at the meeting was the RCMP’s plan to work more closely with mental health professionals. The detachment is looking at developing an RCMP mental health unit over the next year, Sutherland said, to better handle mental health issues in the community.

Sutherland said the RCMP is partnering with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and Department of Justice to provide front-line mental health support in the Battlefords.

In his presentation Sutherland said the local RCMP’s priorities for this year include community policing, serving Indigenous communities, traffic safety, and dealing with serious and organized crime. The RCMP are also planning seven town hall events in the Battlefords and surrounding area to gather public feedback, though the dates are still being determined.

Sutherland said the RCMP are also looking at using new technology to help control rural crime, and “help rural residents feel a level of comfort.”

Craig Hamilton, Reeve of the RM of Mayfield, attended the meeting. Hamilton said he is involved in a pilot project using new technology to help stop criminals in their tracks, by applying an innovative way to track citizens’ vehicles and other valuables if they are stolen.

“It will use technologies that are out there now to protect the homeowner or the farm owner as well as track any assets that are removed from the farm,” he said. “We will pilot it in the next four to six weeks.” 

Hamilton said the system connects through cell phones, GPS, and other systems. Police receive information when property is stolen, he said, so they can track its location and identify the culprits.

The Town of Battleford’s Mayor Ames Leslie, who also attended the meeting, said he appreciated being part of the RCMP’s performance planning process. Leslie said the stakeholders also notified the RCMP of their priorities before the meeting.

“From the Town of Battleford’s perspective, we want to see a focus on crime reduction,” he said. “We need to keep our streets safe.”

The mayor said council and many Battleford residents want to see more police presence in the town to help control speeding traffic.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow