The Town of The Pas, like many rural and northern Manitoba communities, is struggling with having adequate numbers of police officers stationed in the community. The cost of policing is rising, as is the cost of everything else, but there are just not enough police officers on hand to deal with the various issues around community safety and crime.
The Town of The Pas has budgeted for the creation of a Community Safety Officer Program. Currently, there is an ad out to hire a Community Safety Manager to spearhead the project.
“The Community Safety Officer (CSO) Program is still in the works, but the hope is to have a Community Safety Manager in place by the end of February 2024, to help role this program out,” said Town of The Pas Assistant CAO Jenn Early. “The plan is that the safety officers will be out and about the community, getting to know people and businesses. They will have a Peace Officer Status. “There will be two CSOs and a manager hired. They will do patrols in vehicles, bikes and walking. The CSOs and Community Safety Man ager will be working closely with the RCMP. We are hoping to have them work shift work and on weekends. The Com munity Safety Manager will be in constant contact with the local RCMP and our CSOs will work closely with the RCMP. If the RCMP need assistance they will contact the CSO’s and the vice versa. “We are working on a LOU with the local detachment to ensure we are on the same page,” said Early. “The CSO program is to help the RCMP so they can deal with more pressing matters; it’s not so the RCMP have less to do. The CSO’s will deal with individuals intoxicated in the downtown area, provide them rides home or to the homeless shelter or the RCMP detachment, if they do not have any other place to go and are a danger to them selves or others. They will also issue parking tickets; assist the RCMP with traffic control for parades; stay with individuals who are at the hospital under the MHA; provide basic community safety such as patrols and presence around town and eventually issue fines for by-law infractions. “Before they deal with enforcing our by-laws, we want them to get the com munity safety side of things started first.” Applicant for the CSO positions will have to meet certain qualifying criteria before they apply and then there is mandatory training to complete before they can act in the capacity they are hired for. “Since the CSOs will have access to cells at the RCMP detachment, they will also have to success fully pass and maintain Criminal Records Check and Vulnerable Sector Checks, enhanced security clearance required by MB Justice and Child Abuse Registry Check,” said Early. “There is a four-week training program through Brandon City Police that the CSO candidates will have to complete. This Level 1 Training is a requirement in accordance with the Manitoba’s Police Services Act (PSA). The Manitoba Safety Officer Induction Training is the minimum training requirement for issuance of a peace officer appointment for safety officers. “The officer course will provide training including, arrests and detention; understanding the system flow of laid charges; Indigenous awareness and community diversity; the Charter of Rights and Freedoms; court testimony; the Criminal Code; criminal investigation; Duty to Act and Duty of Care; elements of a crime; exhibit handling; interviewing; an introduction to law; Manitoba’s Intoxicated Persons Detention Act; legislation around governing peace officers; Manitoba’s Mental Health Act including authorities, forms, etc; Child and Family Services including missing persons matters; note taking and report writing; provincial acts, statutes, and municipal bylaws; radio procedures; restorative justice; search and seizure, along with the authority to search vehicles, persons and dwellings; tactical communications; traffic enforcement training; use of force and officer safety; and Victims’ Services and Social Services Level II Training,” said Early. “They will also have to meet the following requirements that are in accordance with Manitoba’s Police Services Act, such as the minimum physical requirements, vision and hearing requirements.” The cost of policing is beyond any municipality’s control, but the Town of The Pas realizes they need more supports to keep the community safe. The Town of the Pas’ 2024 budget is $308,000 for the CSO program and $3,714,000 for the RCMP policing. There is still more funding needed for this particular project. “We have an agreement already signed be tween the Province, the Town of the Pas and the RCMP,” said Early. “We have a committee of council formed with three members of Council, the CAO, myself, along with the local RCMP Staff Sergeant and Sergeant. We have started advertising for the Community Safety Manager and will be re viewing resumes the second week of February. There is a job description completed for the CSOs, but won’t start advertising until the manager is hired. “There are a few com ponents we are still working on such as the LOU with the local detachment, a vehicle for the CSOs and we’re still looking for funding, as this program is not funding by the Province. We’re working with the communities of Thompson and Ste. Anne, as they are the only two municipalities in Manitoba that currently have the CSO program up and running. We’re in the process of developing policies and procedures for this pro gram, and hoping that once the manager is hired, this person can take this on. “We are hoping to have tow CSOs in place by the end of March be ginning of April, and then hopefully there will be Level 1 Training avail able,” said Early. “We would like to see the pro gram in operation by May. It won’t be fully operational for some time as there will be lots of training and learning curves. We want the community safety aspect side of things figured out before we have them start by-law enforcement.”