Red Deer RCMP Superintendent Gerald Grobmeier. (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

what to focus on

City council to set new 2020-2022 priorities for Red Deer RCMP

Oct 24, 2020 | 5:11 PM

Red Deer city council will approve new top priorities for the local RCMP detachment at its meeting on Monday.

What council will agree upon will guide Red Deer RCMP for 2020-2022, as per the Municipal Service Agreement which indicates that the City may communicate its priorities to those in charge at the detachment.

This time around, recommended priorities are divided into three areas: property and drugs, dynamic enforcement, and being responsive and visible (see below).

(Red Deer city council agenda for Oct. 26)

The City of Red Deer is also releasing, for the first time, results of a telephone survey done in February 2020, which asked 400 randomly selected residents their input on several policing-related topics.

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Of those who took part, 51 per cent (up from 41%) indicated that drugs is the most important policing issue in Red Deer, while property crimes such as theft, motor vehicle theft and break and enters were most important for 42 per cent (down from 56%) of respondents.

Top choices for which future policing priorities should be included in the Annual Policing Plan were increased focus on drug-related crime (41%, down from 43%), increased patrols/presence (20%, down from 22%), and crime reduction (22%, up from 20%).

Respondents also expressed concerns about safety related to downtown, parks/trails, industrial areas, public transit areas, and apartment buildings.

The number who said they were satisfied to very satisfied with the service they received from the last RCMP member they contacted was 82 per cent. The Municipal Satisfaction Survey done in 2019 indicated 79 per cent of people felt that way.

The phone survey also found 28 per cent of respondents did not report a crime they experienced to RCMP, the primary reason being they felt the crime was “petty” or “minor.” The number was 21 per cent in 2018.

In addition to the survey, the City is also basing its new recommendations on feedback received at crime and community safety sessions held online and in person in November 2019.

Looking at the 2018-20 priorities council set out for RCMP, the detachment says all were achieved.

(Red Deer city council agenda for Oct. 26)

rdnewsNOW will have more on this story following Monday’s council meeting.

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