The CEO of the Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce said she could tell property crimes weren’t being reported as much as what should have been.
“And the stats showed that today,” said Patty Hughes. “Particularly on the items of vandalism, theft, what’s affecting the businesses…they were feeling some concerns in regards to apathy and they were frustrated with it because, not necessarily of the police, but sometimes it’s beyond the police…the catch and release system and that kind of thing.”
One suggestion Hughes made was to adopt a policing and business program that has worked in another Saskatchewan city. The Moose Jaw Trespass Prevention Program (MJTPP) allows police in Moose Jaw to remove trespassers from businesses without business owners having to contact police first, which has helped reduce property crimes like vandalism, break ins, and theft in that community.
“Particularly, it helps enhance public safety by preventing issues related to persistent trespassing, such as fires that are going on. We’ve had numerous fires here within our community, so when they see those things, they need to stop and they need to be taking those encampments down.”
Nogier was open to exploring the idea more and was eager to hear from the rest of the business community at the luncheon.
“We need to have this consultation on a regular basis. If we don’t…sometimes things are based on perceptions… I always like working from an evidence-based approach. I have perceptions about what kind of crime is happening in our downtown core based on statistics, and if I’m hearing through the community that that’s not accurate, then we need to figure out exactly what’s happening. If it’s a recurring problem, recurring individuals, that’s when that consultation will help us have a better footprint moving forward,” Nogier said.
The police chief’s luncheon was sold out, which Hughes found encouraging. She said it was good to see that many people come together who are dedicated to positive change in the city.
“It just really shows how engaged our business community is. These are issues that are on their doorsteps every day, and they (police) need to hear from the leadership within our community in regards to it, and this is critically important to them to hear what he’s been doing and some of the actions that have been done and what’s been accomplished.”
Nogier finished the luncheon by encouraging anyone who couldn’t attend to reach out to the police service via email.
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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com
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