A public meeting has been scheduled with respect to the upcoming community safety audit in the city.
It is to be held Wednesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. at Connaught School. The meeting will provide details on what the community safety audit is about and seek volunteers from the community for that initiative.
Anyone who would like to volunteer or learn more should attend the public information meeting. The safety audits will be conducted May 21 at 7 p.m., May 22 at 9 p.m and May 23 at 1 p.m. A brief training session will take place for the volunteers before each audit. Those interested in volunteering can contact the City at 306-445-1700.
A community safety audit, according to a city news release, is a “thorough examination of an area by local residents. They walk through the area and identify specific safety concerns, opportunities for crime to occur and the existing perception of safety.” The goal is to crime-proof the whole neighbourhood.
The effort is an initiative of the City of North Battleford, BTC-Justice and the North Battleford RCMP detachment and is part of the wide-ranging efforts to reduce crime in the city.
Ever since funding was secured for the project earlier this year, the focus had been on hiring a co-ordinator and determining the location of the audit. The vicinity of Battlefords Union Hospital was selected, running from 106th to 109th streets and 9th through 12th avenues.
Aubrie Boyer, a crime prevention expert, has been taken on as the co-ordinator for the effort and in a statement she encouraged local residents to take part.
“For the audit to be successful, local residents must be part of the process as they are the people who know what’s going on in their neighbourhood,” said Boyer.
Volunteers must be able to dedicate one to two hours of time and have the required literacy skills to complete the audit form. Self-administered surveys will also be completed. There will be no need to go door to door to survey residents.
The information collected will then be used to make community safety-related recommendations, Boyer said.
