The downtown area of North Battleford. (Image Credit: Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

public safety

Private security patrols coming to North Battleford downtown in $106K pilot

Mar 31, 2026 | 11:05 AM

Private security patrols are coming to North Battleford’s downtown core.

City council approved Monday a $106,000, including PST, one-year pilot program – part of the 2026 budget – to fund security services through the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID).

The district will hire a local security company to patrol the area, focusing on visibility and de-escalation rather than enforcement.

Randy Patrick, the city manager, said the initiative is meant to support, not replace, existing services.

“I want to emphasize it is not to do RCMP work, not even to do CSO work,” Patrick told council.

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“It is just to do things in a more friendly, culturally sensitive way. Saying, ‘Hey, you know, maybe you need to move along, or can we help you?’”

He said security personnel will direct incidents to the appropriate agency when needed.

 ”What we wanna get out of this is we want to get ways of treating people like humans and not in a criminal approach or not in a corrective approach unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

The program will run until Dec. 31, after which council will review whether to continue it.

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Mayor Kelli Hawtin said the pilot reflects collaboration across the downtown.

“It’s not only businesses, but it’s community service agencies that are all part of our downtown trying to create a healthier environment for everybody,” she said.

“So I look forward to the trial.”

Coun. Kent Lindgren pointed to similar efforts already in place.

“The North Battleford Public Library does have, throughout the week, security services that are offered there, and they’ve had a lot of success at working and supporting people,” he said. “And de-escalation is a lot of it.”

A public update will be issued once a local security company has been secured. 

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com