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The Police Service provided an update on its Community Safety Strategy at a recent Board of Police Commissioners meeting, which explores ways the organization plans to address these issues and enhance community safety.
Foot and bicycle patrols, anti-trespassing measures, upgraded technology and enhanced communications are some of the strategic priorities the Moose Jaw Police Department plans to pursue this year.
The Metropolitan Police Service (MJPS) gave an update on its Community Safety Strategy at a recent Board of Police Commissioners meeting, which looks at crime statistics and how the organization plans to address them and enhance community safety.
Pedestrian/bicycle patrol
MJPS began conducting foot and bicycle patrols downtown last May and had conducted 194 such inspections as of Dec. 31, compared with 48 patrols in January, the acting chief said. Tyler Elder said.
“We found some things that we were lacking in tracking these events, so (last year) we really stepped up our game and really tried to focus on better methods and better ways to track these numbers and (have) more A lot of community involvement,” he continued.
Elder said participating in these patrols allows officers to build relationships with business owners and residents and enhance their ability to obtain information.
He said the police department conducted multiple patrols in January because the weather was nice and allowed officers to be out regularly. What the group wants to do, however, is get police to go into stores more often and talk to store owners so they know police are nearby.
“A lot of people are hesitant to call the police, so if we pop in and say, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ maybe important information will come out of the conversation that we wouldn’t have gotten[otherwise]…” Elder added. .
invade
Commissioner Doug Blanc applauded the foot patrols downtown but wanted the police department to provide data on activity elsewhere as well, including at Town ‘n’ Country Mall; Bourassa said they could.
Sgt. Ryan Lawrence, who oversees anti-trespassing operations for MJPS, said he has been working with mall general managers to crack down on unwanted visitors — primarily on the back side of the building. He noted that once venues put up signage announcing their operating hours, that should help deter people from going there.
“This is not just a mall problem, but all the residents in the back row are tired of what’s going on,” he said.
Lawrence added that the mall’s operating hours prohibit anyone from entering the site after 11 p.m., but he encouraged them to arrive at 9 p.m.
Board President Crystal Froese said she has also heard complaints about vehicles making unnecessary noise after hours. She noted that the entire area is private property, something people may not realize.
The data shows police received 116 trespassing calls in 2021, 124 calls in 2022 and 163 calls last year, resulting in officers issuing 54, 108 and 146 tickets that year.
Service automation
MJPS Deputy Chief Rick Johns said MJPS is continuing to modernize its information technology (IT) services, whether making it easier for people to report crimes online or allowing members to upload information from their vehicles and make it visible in the community.
This year’s projects include:
- Electronic Collisions: When members attend a collision, they can enter information into a laptop and have it immediately sent to SGI
- Electronic ticketing: During a traffic stop, the traffic police can scan the driver’s license on-site and print a ticket, which facilitates the driver to leave quickly and reduces the time members spend at the parking lot.
- Install a full Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) program to enable officers to report in-car information; this will be a “game changer” as they can remain on the streets longer
Johns added that SGI will soon launch an electronic collision program, and those involved in incidents can receive reports via email or text message. Meanwhile, the Department of Justice Communications Center will regularly monitor the website for crime reports submitted by residents and assign an officer to follow up.
“That’s great. It’s really impressive to see the progress we’ve made in modernizing and being more efficient…” Froese said. “The more we move toward that goal, the more our police will be spending on the streets, and that’s really important.”
communication
Bourassa said the police department’s 2019 public survey showed a majority of residents were satisfied with the agency’s efforts but believed the agency could do a better job of addressing its communication issues. This is true because some members view public relations as a secondary responsibility; furthermore, the agency’s online presence is weak.
As a result, MJPS hired a public information and strategic communications manager last September to strengthen this area and help the organization address its digital activities, the chief added.
Jay-D Haughton explained that part of his job involves monitoring social media and watching videos and photos posted by residents based on crimes, both ongoing and past. Additionally, he plans to remind residents that criminal activity should be reported immediately rather than waiting two weeks — which is often the case.
In addition, his goal is to find creative ways to post messages every day to remind people to call 911 or Crime Stoppers if they see a crime, or use MJPS’ online reporting feature. He also plans to develop a hashtag that people can use to communicate with the agency.
“Scrolling through social media and reading comments is a full-time job… (but) it’s something I want to continue to do, is see what the community thinks about this type of information,” Horton said.
He added that he has to be careful when interacting with people because some users are openly hostile and verbally attack others.
The next Police Commission meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 13.
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