(File photo/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Angela Brown

Community Safety

Council approves new CSO deputy unit commander position, as budgeted for 2021

Jan 26, 2021 | 5:36 PM

North Battleford city council officially approved hiring a new Community Safety Officer (CSO) Deputy Unit Commander position at its meeting Monday.

While the position was previously approved in the 2021 budget, some members of council wanted to discuss more details of the CSO program at the recent planning committee meeting first before approving the hiring process to proceed.

The new CSO Deputy Unit Commander position will be more of a senior level role, to also cover more bylaw matters. It will allow some of the CSO officers time to take on more duties as well as patrols downtown.

“We do have specific needs, like more foot patrols downtown,” Mayor David Gillan said. “That was something that we heard loud and clear.”

He said the new position will allow more of the regular CSOs to do more of their work outside the office, as a benefit.

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“We continue to focus on public safety and trying to improve that aspect all the time,” Gillan added. “So it is just another initiative we are undertaking.”

Director of Protective Services Lindsay Holm said in his proposal to council the deputy unit commander position would provide an opportunity for CSOs to be able to engage downtown stakeholders and increase the operation’s effectiveness.

Holm added having CSO officers conducting more patrols will assist in developing a sense of community in the downtown core, and create a better environment.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW