The City of North Battleford has named its new Community Program Co-ordinator to deal with crime prevention and community safety efforts.
They have entered an agreement with Herb Sutton, the retiring director of education with Light of Christ School Division, for that contract, which is to run for six months. Sutton's experience includes serving as co-chair of the HUB steering committee.
The community program co-ordinator position was created by the City recently in order to further the effort to reduce and prevent crime in the city. It was also prompted by the continued lack of announcements of provincial funding to help with crime prevention efforts.
Among the responsibilities will be creating a positive image of North Battleford and the work of the HUB, working with the HUB steering committee on protocols and its terms of reference. Sutton will also be tasked with creating a business case of funding for HUB initiatives and completing an inventory of crime prevention activities in the region. He will be conducting a gap analysis to identify programming opportunities, goals and additional collaboration among agencies and other projects as mutually agreed.
Also, the City continues to work closely with the Ministry of Government Relations on programs that could reduce the load on the RCMP and also engage youth.
Those include reporting and requesting Sask. Liquor and Gaming monitor bars in the city for over-serving, evaluating whether another agency can issue tickets and increase fines to crack down on noisy parties. Other initiatives will include updating bylaws and increasing fines for false alarms, providing health care support to jail cells. Local agencies will work with SGI to develop a public awareness program on locking cars and removing valuables to reduce car thefts and vandalism, and the use of a fine option programs in connection to youth crime to show persons the results of their actions.
