By Greg Higgins

N.B. community safety officers here to stay

Aug 24, 2016 | 3:17 PM

A hybrid police program in the city has grown quite a bit since it started and more officers are expected to be on the streets in the coming weeks.

The Community Safety Officer (CSO) program in North Battleford is designed to alleviate RCMP responsibility for high volume low risk infractions.

Robert Gillan is the unit commander and said community safety is a new program to Saskatchewan but it grew fast. CSOs continue to receive increased responsibility and Gillan expects an announcement for more in early September. He said he understands why civilians don’t take his officers seriously. Yet he said the opinion carries a price.

“People are used to seeing the RCMP enforce the traffic laws that we have taken over so it’s understandable,” Gillan said. “It’s going to take a little while for people to catch on to our duties and responsibilities here. We do enforce the Highway Traffic Act and give out tickets for all infractions.”

The commander doesn’t believe there are any talks of turning the program into a municipal police department. Gillan added people are satisfied with the current police force so he doesn’t think it’s in the works right now.

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According to Gillan, other municipalities across the province are watching the program closely in North Battleford.

“We are here in the community. We live here, and we are long-term citizens. I think that is part of the success here. Guys have skin in the game,” Gillan said.

The officers aren’t just enforcing traffic laws. Gillan said they are also responsible for some animal control and the Alcohol Control Act. According to Gillan, CSOs try to help out the homeless as much as possible and try to “give them a place to be.”

Gillan admits Community Safety Officers are a step down from “full spectrum policing” but they still have the authorities and responsibilities of “hybrid policing.” He said if people don’t take CSOs seriously it doesn’t matter because if they are violating they will have to answer to them.

Greg Higgins is battlefordsNOW’s city municipal affairs and health reporter. He can be reached at ghiggins@jpbg.ca or tweet him @realgreghiggins.

by Greg Higgins

N.B. community safety officers here to stay

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