(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Bylaw update

Report on back alley bylaw expected in March

Jan 26, 2021 | 8:21 AM

Information on the roll-out and enforcement of Prince Albert’s controversial alley curfew bylaw is expected at city council in March.

Prince Albert Police Chief Jon Bergen was unable to provide the number of tickets, if any, that have been issued under the now seven-month-old bylaw when asked by reporters on Monday, but explained the service was in the process of compiling that information.

“I’ve actually called for a review internally to get the observations from our supervisors to see what… compliance has been with the back lane bylaw, and what our response has been,” he said.

Prince Albert city council passed the measure aimed at combatting property crime in June, despite opposition from critics who said it could contribute to racial profiling. At the request of one of the curfew’s most powerful opponents – Prince Albert Grand Council – city councillors also agreed to revisit the bylaw after six months.

Under the bylaw, rear lanes in the city are closed between the hours of 12 a.m. and 6 a.m. Anyone found in the restricted areas after curfew is subject to a fine between $500 and $5,000.

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Information and statistics compiled by police will form part of a report headed for a city council executive meeting in March, the city’s director of planning and development services, Craig Guidinger told paNOW. The timing of that report coincides with six months since signage for the curfew was installed around the city, Guidinger said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Greg Dionne said he’s looking forward to the report but is already satisfied with the bylaw. Asked how he would measure its effectiveness, Dionne cited public feedback.

“The phone calls I’ve been getting, I’m already satisfied with it, strictly because I’ve had lots of residents phone and tell me how their back alleys have changed and how they feel more secure,” he said. “So I don’t know what more the report is going to tell me.”

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom