(Angela Brown/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Angela Brown

Budget 2021

City of North Battleford proposed budget deliberations include downtown safety issue

Dec 8, 2020 | 6:06 PM

The City of North Battleford is continuing with its deliberation sessions for the proposed 2021 budget.

At Monday night’s meeting there was a discussion on the need to have another community safety officer hired to add to resources, so one CSO could focus on the downtown area.

Mayor David Gillan said he is aware the community is asking for more community safety investments.

“It’s not currently in the budget; it’s actually an unbudgeted item,” he said. “But of course we are considering ways of possibly bringing another officer in.”

Director of Protective Services Lindsay Holm said having a CSO officer downtown may help alleviate businesses’ issues related to crime and safety.

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He said there also needs to be more help for homeless people.

He proposed hiring a deputy unit commander with the active CSOs under that position to enable an officer to establish a presence and add foot patrols in the city’s core.

Holm said it’s important to understand the issues, and look to develop partnerships with local agencies to help the vulnerable.

“I want to start engaging everyone down there. I think that is part of the biggest problem we have had,” he said.

Council mentioned the need to lobby the provincial government about how to provide options to vulnerable people needing services, whether for addictions issues or mental health, for example.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW