RCMP address community concerns

By Sharon McLeay Times Contributor

Wheatland County, in conjunction with the Strathmore RCMP, will post a website survey at the end of January, to allow for feedback from the community.
Staff Sergeant Kevin O’Dwyer of the Strathmore RCMP detachment is looking for public feedback to target strategic RMCP objectives that build community relationships and enhance communication with the public. They want to know what initiatives people would like to see developed, and get feedback on safety issues in the community.
“We seek support for another survey, so we can get direct from the public how they would like to see their police working for them in the county. That is how we know if we are doing a good or bad job. I want to ask their ideas about what will make them feel safer in their homes,” said O’Dwyer. “We strongly believe this is important.”
Communication and service delivery is also a goal set out Canada-wide in the national RCMP plans and priorities for 2017, and is supported by Alberta’s K-Division administration.
“Detachment and service delivery concerns are part of ongoing relationship management at those levels and are best addressed at in-person meetings,” stated Superintendent Mike Good with K-Division Operations Strategy Branch.
The 2017 call statistics indicate that public property crimes and motor vehicle accidents are the top response calls in the Strathmore area. O’Dwyer is interested to see what other issues the community would like to see addressed, and he hopes people will work with the officers to improve safety in the community. O’Dwyer said public involvement in organizations like Rural Crime Watch and reporting suspicious activity to the RCMP all help officers do a better job.
The Strathmore detachment covers about 600 square miles of territory, and with a limited number of officers and resources, public assistance can provide valuable information that helps support and solve investigations.
Getting out of the office and communicating with municipal partners is an initiative happening in detachments all over Alberta.