Instead of jail cells: North Battleford amended intoxication bylaw easing pressure on RCMP

According to Holm, CSOs responded to 396 wellbeing checks in 2025, primarily in the downtown core, and 172 so far in 2026. While the overall call volume has remained relatively stable, Holm said the biggest change has been what happens after officers arrive.

“80 per cent of the engagements that the CSOs have done on those well-being checks, 80 per cent of those people are being transferred to the care of a competent person, as opposed to be taken to RCMP cells,” he said.

“I think we’ve had a significant impact there, alleviating some of the pressures off the RCMP to allow them to deal with major incidents within the city.”

The comments come as Battlefords RCMP continue to face growing demands tied to mental health, addictions and violent crime.

In the detachment’s 2026 first-quarter report presented to city council on May 25, RCMP reported handling 5,737 calls for service between Jan. 1 and April 1 across the municipal and rural detachments.

The report also listed 1,386 “Mental Health Act – Other Activities” files.

Inspector Ryan How told council the number only reflects calls specifically categorized under mental health legislation and does not include assaults, disturbances or other criminal investigations where mental health or addictions were underlying factors.

“It doesn’t capture when we respond to a call for service, if somebody suffering from a mental health episode, and they’ve assaulted somebody else, we aren’t able to accurately capture that,” How said during the meeting.

“What I would suggest is the vast, vast majority of our calls for service, especially involving violence, have some form of underlying mental health concern.”

How said the realities facing frontline officers are changing how policing operates in communities like North Battleford.

“Policing has changed significantly recently and the RCMP look to our partner agencies more frequently to help manage the reasons someone is committing crime,” he said in a statement to battlefordsNOW.

“Their efforts definitely allow RCMP investigators to dedicate more time to solving criminal matters and being able to respond when the police are needed.”

The RCMP report also showed officers were monitoring 3,282 offenders on conditions as of April 2026, while handling 63 missing persons investigations during the quarter, cases How said immediately become top-priority responses.

Holm said the city’s approach is aimed at recognizing that many public intoxication calls are rooted in vulnerability rather than criminal intent.

“It’s about supporting somebody that may not have the means or the ability to support themselves right at that given time,” he said.

The bylaw change forms part of a broader downtown safety strategy that also includes a new Business Improvement District security patrol program launched earlier this month.

Holm said the city is exploring additional de-escalation and cultural sensitivity training for CSOs through federal grant funding.

“I think the positivity that I’m seeing downtown, since both of these initiatives have been implemented, is having some pretty dramatic effects down there,” Holm said. “When you’re talking to people that are frequently downtown, there’s nothing but positive that’s coming out of this.”

How also credited the city’s CSOs during his council presentation while discussing downtown crime and social disorder trends.

“They’d be much worse without the help of Chief Holm and his crew downtown,” he said.

Despite some encouraging signs, both officials acknowledged the broader challenges remain significant.

RCMP statistics presented to council showed assaults rising 21 per cent year-over-year in the first quarter, while break-and-enters to businesses doubled compared to the same period in 2025.

How linked many of those incidents to addictions, unstable housing and untreated mental health struggles.

“Unfortunately, addictions need to be fed, and property crime is one of the ways to do it,” he said while discussing downtown crime trends. “Enforcement simply isn’t working with people suffering from needs that push them into that realm.”

For Holm, that reality is exactly why the city pushed to change the bylaw in the first place.

“One of the primary focuses there is that we’re looking at a different way of policing,” he said. “Instead of penalizing somebody for an addiction, we’re trying to help them out.”

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kenneth.cheung@pattisonmedia.com

by Kenneth Cheung

Instead of jail cells: North Battleford amended intoxication bylaw easing pressure on RCMP

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