Cold Lake residents will have the chance to hear it straight from the local RCMP.
The detachment is hosting a town hall at the Lakeland Inn at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31, where they will be outlining their priorities for the year and taking questions from the public.
S/Sgt. Scott Buchanan described the event as an informal, casual conversation between the community and the Cold Lake RCMP.
“It’s just to open up communication with the public, and also to let those who are interested with what the police are doing and our priorities, and to give them a forum to see that first-hand and ask questions if they have any,” he explained.
Members from the Cold Lake detachment, along with a team from Cold Lake Victim Services Unit (VSU), will be on-hand to field any inquiries attendees may have.
“Cpl. Sean Dutch is going to do a presentation on how many calls for service we have, what types of calls we have, where we police, our jurisdiction, and the make-up of the detachment,” detailed Buchanan.
Road safety, enhancing relationships with local indigenous groups, and community engagement are a few of the topics that will be covered.
Buchanan said, crime reduction is another concept they focus on.
“That’s a wide ranging topic, but it’s basically the nuts and bolts of policing. Catching the five per cent that are doing 95 per cent of the crime.”
After outlining their priorities, the floor will be open for questions.
The Cold Lake RCMP wants to engage the community, which Buchanan said is “part of the reason why we’re doing the town hall.”
“To have an understanding of what people think, what they want, and also, at the same time, to help people understand our limitations and our authorities.”
For Buchanan, the event is an opportunity to explain some of the challenges the RCMP face.
“A lot of times, for me as a staff sergeant at the office, I field a lot of questions about what we do, why we do it, and people who may have concerns about what we’ve done,” he explained. “What I find is conversations with people that come in, so often the problem isn’t what we’ve done, but about an understanding of why we did what we did.”
An essential aspect, Buchanan said is finding out what’s important for local residents.
“We want to partner with the community, and we need the community to effectively do our work. Hopefully, support for the men and women who police the community as well,” he said.
