Community Safety Officers (CSOs) - (photo/ City of North Battleford)

By Kenneth Cheung

BYLAW CHANGE

‘A compassionate approach’: North Battleford changes how CSOs respond to public intoxication

Apr 30, 2025 | 2:57 PM

A bylaw change now lets Community Safety Officers (CSOs) release intoxicated individuals they encounter, without needing RCMP intervention first. It is part of a shift towards a ‘trauma-informed approach’ to addiction.

The approach is meant to promote environments of healing and recovery rather than practices and services that may inadvertently re-traumatize.

City council approved the change Monday night during a regular meeting by amending its Panhandling and Public Behaviours Bylaw to give the CSOs more discretion when handling cases of public intoxication. Prior to the amendment, officers were required to contact RCMP and have them arrested.

Clarifying how the new discretion will work in practice, Candace Toma, the city’s Public and Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator, told battlefordsNOW that officers will assess sobriety based on their training, and may consider release if the individual shows only low to moderate intoxication and isn’t committing any additional Criminal Code-related offences.

“This bylaw amendment gives CSOs the chance to give the individual a ride to a safe location — be it their own residence, the home of a friend or family member, or to another place of shelter,” she said.

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Toma added that if someone asks for help accessing addiction or mental health support, CSOs may transport them to health or social service agencies. She said the referral process would be done at the individual’s own choosing and would not be something mandated by officers.

She also clarified that individuals brought to support services or shelters are not under arrest and may leave at their discretion. However, “if the individual departs a safe location shortly after being transported by officers and then continues to cause a public disturbance while being intoxicated,” they may be detained in RCMP cells under the Alcohol and Gaming Regulations Act for safety reasons.

As of 2024, CSOs conducted 583 wellness checks involving impaired individuals.

Director of Protective Services Lindsay Holm proposed the amendment. He believes there needs to be a more compassionate approach with a goal to help, rather than automatically detain people struggling with addictions or mental health issues.

“Really what we’re trying to do with the panhandling bylaw and specifically for intoxicated people, is to try and make sure that we’re trying to deal with that at the lowest possible level when we engage with somebody that is intoxicated,” Holm said in a follow-up interview.

Holm said the old system often left no room to connect people with addiction treatment, mental health supports or detox programs.

“We’re trying to approach it more from a compassionate side of things because addiction is a very complex entity,” he said.

“A lot of the things that are causing the addictions could be trauma-based and we want to make sure that we’re doing the right thing for our clients when we’re dealing with them out on the street like that.”

Previously, under the Alcohol and Gaming Regulations Act, CSOs were required to call an RCMP officer to complete any arrest and transport the person to cells, or to transport the person themselves under RCMP direction.

He said rather than arresting hundreds of people for public intoxication, officers wanted a better system.

“If we can help facilitate somebody getting into some different forms of treatment as opposed to going to jail, we’re all for it,” Holm said.

Battlefords RCMP Inspector Ryan How said the change not only saves police resources but also helps vulnerable people find a safe place.

“In addition to the efficiency for the time of both services, I also see benefit for the people we’re dealing with, to deliver them to a safe place, rather than automatically going to cells,” How told council during the meeting.

CSOs have received RCMP-led training to perform alcohol screenings and assess levels of intoxication. Holm noted that all interactions are documented using body cameras and incident reports.

Coun. Bill Ironstand said he supports the new approach as a more humane way to address addiction and mental health challenges.

Mayor Kelli Hawtin agreed.

“Not all people belong in prison because they’re struggling, and I think that’s what we’re trying to achieve here, is the ability to bring people somewhere safe. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be jail cells,” she said.

The regular council meeting took place at the Don Ross Centre Chamber.

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