Niverville to pursue ‘hybrid’ policing plan

Town won't release policing study

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This article was published 20/02/2019 (1862 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Town of Niverville has said it has no plans to establish a municipal police force, now that an independent policing study has been completed.

During a Tuesday evening meeting, Niverville council announced that an independent study conducted by former Winkler Police Chief Rick Hiebert was recently completed. Results of that study have been analyzed by the town’s council and administration.

Hiebert was hired to study and analyze future policing options for Niverville.

Niverville also said on Tuesday the full report would not be made public at the request of Hiebert, stating the former police chief felt that if it were released other municipalities would be able to review it and use the recommendations without paying for their own independent report.

Concerns about safety escalated after high profile and violent crimes took place in town, including a machete attack and screwdriver attack that both took place in 2017.

Niverville mayor Myron Dyck said now that the study has been completed and analyzed, council will not look to create a municipal police force, something some residents have called for.

Instead, he said the town will look to create a “hybrid model” that would include continuing to be serviced by St Pierre RCMP, while also creating their own plan to deal with what Dyck called “lower level” policing.

“We value what the RCMP does for our community and we hold them in high regard, but in reality some of the things here that our residents are requesting can’t always be considered their priorities,” Dyck said. “There are days when they are able to deal with more highway traffic and surveillance issues, but there are days when they are not.”

The town issued a press release that identified a number of the town’s plans to assist with “lower level” policing including adding to its existing security camera program, and hiring employees to do real-time monitoring of their security cameras.

Council also said they hope to work more closely with volunteers and community groups that give their time to improve safety in the town, and they plan to explore new technology and innovation as a way to assist with policing.

Niverville also said that with the province’s Police Services Act amended every five years and currently being worked on for 2020, they will look to give greater powers to enhance bylaw enforcement related to the Highway Traffic Act including giving bylaw enforcement officers the power to hand out traffic tickets.

The town is also looking to give greater powers to provincial community safety officers (CSOs) who currently work to assist police in a number of Manitoba communities.

Dyck said council has already met with the Department of Justice and has asked that CSOs be given the power to question “suspicious people” including those who “as an example are driving around at 3 a.m. for no apparent reason.”

Dyck was asked if he was concerned the town’s plans could anger some residents who have advocated for a municipal police force.

“We have heard people asking us to create a police force and others telling us not to because it’s going to cost too much, so what we have said is ‘we see benefits in this hybrid model,’” he said.

In its release the town said start-up costs for an independent police force would come in at around $477,000, while yearly operating costs would sit at $575,000. A community safety officer program would incur $58,000 for start up costs and $62,500 to operate.

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