New head of Red Deer RCMP Downtown Unit confident they’re making a difference

“This was the first place my family and I came to, was downtown Red Deer,” he recalled. “It’s close to my heart. A lot of good is happening down here and I’d like to see it continue on.”

The Red Deer RCMP Downtown Unit is currently made up of four members but will soon grow to five after city council approved funding for an additional officer.

This past summer alone, the unit made 214 arrests resulting in 422 criminal charges being laid, 31 stolen vehicles being recovered and another 574 provincial tickets being issued.

“The statistics are very good. That just goes to show the focus the Red Deer Detachment is putting into the downtown core,” lauds Hanusich.

“Red Deer is facing the same challenges all other urban areas are seeing in Alberta. Things have changed, but that being said the downtown core is an extremely beautiful area with fantastic business owners and clientele that come downtown.”

Being visible while out and about, Hanusich notes, is an important aspect of the work his unit is doing.

“We’ve done proactive patrols down here in an effort to make people feel safe. I believe, talking to people that I see on my patrols downtown, we’re doing that. People are starting to feel safer with us downtown.”

Hanusich says residents can get used to the foot, bike and Segway patrols unit members have been doing for the foreseeable future.

“I’ll tell this to the citizens that enjoy us down here and to the people that don’t want us down here – we’re down here.”

by Troy Gillard

New head of Red Deer RCMP Downtown Unit confident they’re making a difference

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