The Government of Saskatchewan renewed funding of $330,000 last week for three municipal community policing positions.
In an announcement at City Hall December 11, MLA Greg Ottenbreit said on behalf of the Province is committed to the community policing policy.
“As we strive to make Saskatchewan the best province in which to work, live and play, community safety is a priority,” he said. “This grant provides the support needed for those hardworking police officers dedicated to protecting Yorkton communities and families.”
The three officers, who are full-fledged members, oversee youth programs designed to engage youth in positive ways within the community to reduce and prevent youth crime and victimization. These include Kids & Cops (a joint venture with Big Brothers Big Sisters), Students against Drunk Driving (SADD), Citizens on Patrol, Youth Sport and Swim Nights, the School Liaison Program, and the P.A.R.T.Y Program (designed to prevent alcohol and risk related trauma in youth).
“Community officers can do a wide range of things,” explained Staff Sergeant Greg Nichol, commander of the Yorkton municipal detachment. “They’re involved in the schools, they can do a lot of the less serious criminal investigations, police-community relations, school liaison officers.”
Nichol is a long-time proponent of the community policing model.
“I’m a believer in educating our youth,” he said. “The more time we can spend with students and youth and the more visible the RCMP can be in the schools in a preventive manner, getting to this kids before they get into their older teen years and adult lives is very important.”
Mayor Bob Maloney said the City is grateful for the ongoing commitment to ongoing funding of the program.
“The City of Yorkton and our council certainly appreciates it,” he said. “We appreciate the relationship we’ve had with the RCMP in our community, it’s been a very good relationship and a very respectful relationship and I think quality of service that they’re providing to the City of Yorkton is really second to none in a time when policing is becoming more and more difficult.”
