The Ponoka RCMP are seeking public input for a performance plan.
Staff Sgt. Cameron Chisholm said the purpose is to find out what residents feel are important aspects of community safety. “We want to make sure the policing we do reflects the issues of the community.”
Police are working with the Town of Ponoka and using the town’s website: www.ponoka.ca to host a survey until March 19. Residents can pick four priorities and supply comments or feedback to police. The items on the list include:
• Traffic (stop signs, speed, loud vehicles)
• Impaired driving
• Drug Enforcement for marijuana and cocaine
• Crime and social disorder relating to the nighttime economy
• Theft from motor vehicles
• Vandalism
• Public drunkenness
• Youth engagement (positive interaction with youth)
• Community engagement (crime prevention/community policing)
• Domestic violence
• Assaults
• Sexual assaults
• Organized crime (gangs)
“Those are the common issues that the community faces,” he added.
Chisholm does not expect to tackle every issue but feels addressing the larger problems will resolve the secondary issues. “If everything’s a priority, nothing’s a priority.”
Police use crime trends and feedback from different groups including councillors and residents. Chisholm also gets information from his officers as they deal with the community on a daily basis. This tool helps police track if there is progress.
“It’s intelligence led policing,” stated Chisholm.
Other detachments might be able to use some of the findings from this performance plan and on a provincial and national level, the RCMP might see trends in an area and provide training to those detachments.
Ponoka RCMP will take information from the survey to craft a plan sometime in April. Each priority issue will have an objective and within that some initiatives.
“We welcome public feedback as to what the issues are not only on the poll but throughout the year,” said Chisholm.
Survey forms will also be made available at Ponoka Town Hall.