WHITE CITY — Community Safety Officers (CSOs) in White City and the Rural Municipality of Edenwold will soon have enforcement authority in both jurisdictions.
Per a press release, a new joint agreement between the two areas will see a wider range of CSOs' scope starting Sept. 1.
“This will strengthen the partnership between our communities, bring more clarity to enforcement around our boundary lines, and most importantly, help keep everyone safe,” said White City Mayor Mitch Simpson.
A CSO is a provincially appointed special constable who can enforce municipal bylaws and specific provincial legislation within a boundary.
This new agreement allows CSOs in White City and the RM of Edenwold to enforce laws and issue tickets throughout both jurisdictions.
“We’re excited to see how our CSO programs are evolving,” said Al Trainor, the Reeve of the RM of Edenwold. “This new step means officers from each municipality will offer about two hours of support to the other per week, as needed and when requested.”
The new agreement will also help cover both areas when there is a shortage of officers. From this, both municipalities will avoid the cost of additional staffing resources, while sharing equipment will reduce infrastructure costs.
Each municipality is responsible for the legal costs in relation to enforcement in its area, and any mone from an offence will go directly to the area where the offence occurred.
The joint agreement was approved by the Minister of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety on July 24.
