MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM — The Moose Jaw Police Service is close to implementing its downtown-focused anti-trespassing initiative and expects many businesses will join the project once they see how effective it is.
The police service (MJPS) provided an update about its community safety strategy during the March 13 meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners. Besides the downtown initiative, it also discussed its foot and bike patrols and digital communications efforts.
“We have had a pretty significant number of requests already for people wishing to participate in that (anti-trespassing) program (and) we’re looking forward to that,” said Chief Rick Bourassa.
The agency is meeting with community groups and businesses to identify the issues affecting them, while it continues to produce communications reminding residents to “call us, call us, call us” when they see something suspicious, he continued.
“You do hear, ‘Well, downtown is a dangerous place.’ We have no data on that. (So) we’ll still have our presence out there,” Bourassa remarked.
Business owners and residents should call 911 and shouldn’t assume that the police service can or cannot do something to handle a situation, he added. Even if police can’t do anything immediately, they will at least have the data to make evidence-based decisions about how to address community safety.
The mayor’s office regularly receives positive calls from residents saying they are encouraged by the foot patrols, said Commissioner Clive Tolley. He thought it was great that the MJPS would soon have more foot and bike patrols once all the units were fully staffed.
The police chief’s office receives similar calls because people like seeing that presence said Bourassa. One thing the agency has told downtown-focused cops is they should step into businesses regularly to speak with owners and develop relationships, which creates better communications and opens the door to hearing about what’s happening.
The MJPS defines the downtown core as Main Street, Crescent Park and the library — essentially, Caribou Street to Manitoba Street and First Avenue Northwest and Northeast — since those are the areas where people say they feel less safe, he continued.
Meanwhile, the bike patrols and motorcycle officers will work throughout Moose Jaw so more residents see them regularly. Also, foot and bike patrols will occur during the day while officers will patrol the community in their vehicles at night.
The MJPS’s public information and strategic communication manager plans to conduct more online-focused communications about the downtown to show that police are in the area and working to make it a welcoming place, the chief said.
The board also heard that the communications manager is creating stickers that business owners can place on their windows to show they are participating in the anti-trespassing initiative.
Bourassa added that the anti-trespassing pilot project would be for businesses and downtown apartments only and wouldn’t include private residences since those pose different challenges.
Board chairwoman Crystal Froese liked that the MJPS had created a page on its website where businesses can access information about the pilot project. She thought it was in-depth and showed that police were addressing downtown safety issues, while owners could also access information about the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) initiative.
“As soon as we’re able to launch our trespassing program as well … that will be good,” she added.
The next police board meeting is Wednesday, April 10.
