EXAMINING THE LESSONS OF CHARLIE HEBDO KILLINGS
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Red Deer Advocate TUESDAY, JAN. 13, 2015
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Six police officers ‘a good start’
CLAIMING THEIR PILE
RCMP SUPT. ANNOUNCES JOINT TASK FORCE IN CENTRAL ALBERTA BY CRYSTAL RHYNO ADVOCATE STAFF Six new police recruits are heading to Red Deer. City council unanimously voted to bring six new RCMP officers and three support staff on board during Monday’s operating debate. RCMP Supt. Scott Tod said ROSS STREET PATIO the funding ap- FUNDED A2 proval shows the city’s commitment to public safety and the importance of policing in the community and keeping the detachment strong. “I think it is a good start,” said Tod, who was in council chambers to answer questions from council. “Given the realities of the cost of policing. It’s a very expensive business. I am very mindful of the pressure it puts on any municipality. I think it is a good start.” Currently there are 147 police officers working in Red Deer. Council heard that Red Deer RCMP officers handle 130 criminal code cases per officer compared to the provincial average of 90 cases per officer. Tod told council that there is obviously a need for officers but there is also the reality of staffing the positions which is a challenge that most police departments are facing. But the boost in policing wasn’t the only good news on the crime-fighting front. Tod announced a new joint police task force in Central Alberta. Tod did not give away too many details about the new team made up of officers from communities such as Blackfalds, Innisfail and Sylvan Lake. “We will be quite strategic,” said Tod. “I don’t want to say too much other than the main focus will be property crime.” Tod said ALERT, housed out of Red Deer’s downtown detachment, will no doubt have a role to play with the new team. “Property crime is driving our crime index,” said Tod. “That’s one of the biggest contribution. Not to take too much credit but it was a pretty easy observation.”
2015 OPERATING BUDGET ‘I DON’T WANT TO SAY TOO MUCH OTHER THAN THE MAIN FOCUS WILL BE PROPERTY CRIME.’ — RCMP SUPT. SCOTT TOD
He said Red Deer has targeted prolific offenders which ends up pushing them out to neighbouring communities. “The problem is they move to those neighbouring communities to get away from our police presence,” said Tod. “But they come back to Red Deer to do business ... We need to look at a regional enforcement perspective because we are all dealing with the same people and chasing the same bad guys.” Tod said they will be targeting these crooks and “putting them out of business.” The policing budget is roughly $32.1 million out of the city’s proposed $329-million budget. The city will spend $559,650 bill to cover six new police officers and three municipal support staff. The city is also on the hook for $132,150 to cover the provincial shortfall in grant funding. The province funds three police officers on an annual basis but it has not kept pace with increased policing costs. Coun. Ken Johnston said the city is paying for police services and strategies that not only benefit Central Alberta region but the two major cities in the province. Johnston said he is very encouraged about the task force and the regional perspective. “But the reality comes back to municipal budgets cannot to be sustained at this level and at this need for policing without provincial support,” said Johnston. Red Deer’s operating budget deliberations continue today. The proposed budget calls for a 4.31 per cent property tax hike on the municipal side. crhyno@reddeeradvocate.com
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
As Ron Wilkin plants the flag atop the pile of snow, Brian Hamelock and Ernie Melnyk add some snow to the heap in Dowd Close on Monday. The residents of the close in Red Deer have decided to have some fun with the pile of snow the city loads into the middle of the close by erecting a flag and challenging other Red Deer residents living in other closes to get into the spirit of winter and claim their pile of snow and have some fun with it this winter. Later this spring the neighbors in Dowd Close are planning a BBQ block party around the pile.
Election Rebuilding beach would speculation cost more than $900K grows BY PAUL COWLEY ADVOCATE STAFF A disappointed Sylvan Lake town council heard on Monday that rebuilding Sylvan Lake’s beach would cost more than $900,000. On top of that, another $240,000 would have to be spent every two years to maintain a 15-metre strip of sand, said Ron Lebsack, director of community services. Mayor Sean McIntyre acknowledged the price tag made the project a nonstarter for council, but he has not given up hope. The mayor proposed a motion, which was unanimously approved by council, to lobby the provincial government to maintain and restore the beach that is part of Sylvan Lake Provincial Park. “It’s really our last avenue as far as I see it,” he said. McIntyre said the loss of the beach
WEATHER Mainly sunny. High -4. Low -12.
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SYLVAN LAKE COUNCIL MULTIPLEX MOVING FORWARD A2 means some town residents travel to other lakes to enjoy a day at the beach and he is determined to try to find a way to improve the situation. “I’m passionate about it and I have not given up on it.” Town staff researched the cost of dredging to restore the beach, as well as additional expenses such environmental and engineering studies and ongoing maintenance, as background for a proposed survey to gauge public support for a beach project. Getting the public’s support was necessary to even begin the process of applying for the necessary provincial approval to dredge the lake. Dredging alone would cost about $720,000 based on the estimated need to move 24,000 cubic metres of sand to
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restore an 800-metre long beach. Given the cost, staff recommended the town abandon the project. Coun. Jas Payne expressed frustration that there seems to be no way to convince the province to fix a problem that was mostly created by its decision to build a sea wall in the mid-1970s. The building of the wall has caused wave action to push the sand back into the lake. High lake levels have further exacerbated the problem. But even lake levels returned to previous levels, the beach would not return, pointed out McIntyre. Photos of the beach in 1988 show the sand was only 30 to 45 centimetres below the sea wall. Now, the sand is as much as 1.2 metres below the top of the wall. Coun. Plante shared the skepticism of several councillors that lobbying will budge the province’s reluctance to do anything to fix the beach.
Please see BEACH on Page A2
BY THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — Alberta’s Progressive Conservatives are ramping up their candidate selection process, fuelling speculation that a spring election is on the way. PC party executive director Kelley Charlebois said Monday that on the weekend the party struck a committee to oversee nominations and plans to have 35 nominated candidates in place by Feb. 21. “(We’re) setting us up for kind of a Super Saturday scenario (on that date),” Charlebois said. “We’ll get some energy, excitement and media attention out of that date.” He said more nomination dates are expected to be approved next weekend, with others to follow.
Please see ELECTION on Page A2
Cheap oil dims spirit of energy sector The Bank of Canada says confidence of the energy sector is down, but businesses overall see brighter days ahead. Story on PAGE C4
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