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Volume 113, Issue 3
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
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Open House held in Forestburg could have major potential GM Pearson hosted an open house in Forestburg on Saturday, July 11, to provide information and answer questions about a proposed new thermal treatment facility they are looking to build and operate, potentially in Forestburg, which is on the short-list of potential locations. Forestburg Council members were also in attendance, as Council supports the idea of the potential development, which could bring many benefits as well as investment to the village and surrounding area. Story P14.
Justice Minister discusses new policing hires Killam, Viking, and Tofield not getting any new frontline police in first wave Leslie Cholowsky Editor Alberta RCMP announced 76 new police officers and 57 new civilian support positions for rural Alberta last week. This news was met with some areas of the province confused about being left out of the initial group of hires, including Beaver County and Flagstaff. In an interview with Caribou Publishing on Tuesday morning, Alberta Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer addressed the situation. “What was announced earlier this month was the first wave of new police officers that will be here on the ground in rural Alberta. “It’s a part of our $286 million partnership with municipalities and the federal government that was announced late last year.” Twenty-five detachments in the province received new frontline police positions, with five of those in the Eastern Alberta District; one each in Athabasca, Bonnyville, Cold Lake, Elk Point, and St. Paul. Camrose, in the Central Alberta District, also received one new officer, as did Stettler.
Other positions filled include 10 positions at the RCMP Call Back Unit, (CBU) who focus support to rural detachments by managing lower priority calls that do not require direct police attendance, including reports of stolen property, minor motor vehicle accidents, gas-n-dash, and general inquiries. Rural detachments also benefit indirectly from two new K-Member Operational Support positions, embedded in Operational Communications Centres, providing policing support 24/7 to all detachments in the province. Other specialized units in the province also received additional staffing. Schweitzer says through the new initiative, the Province is planning to have 300 new police officers for rural Alberta, plus 200 support staff. “This year we will get a total of 76, so another 30 officers are going to arrive later this year in our province.” He says support staff are important because they keep our police officers, “Out in our communities. They allow them to fill out their paperwork remotely so that they can continue to be out there patrolling our streets keeping
people safe.” He adds that there will be further announcements this year as officers arrive, and that this is going to be a continual thing over the next “three, four, five years, as we get to that full complement of 300 new officers on the ground.” Schweitzer says, “When you think about it, there are four districts in Alberta that comprise our rural communi-
ties and you have to think of how the different detachments support one another. When one’s really busy, the other ones will come and support. “Getting additional resources into every one of those districts is really important, because it allows us to cover more territory. “We heard loud and clear last year See RURAL CRIME P9
Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely and Alberta Justice Minister Doug Schweitzer discuss recent rural policing announcements and future needs to combat rural crime.