The Grande Prairie RCMP is inviting residents to town halls at Teresa Sargent Hall over three days in November to give community members the chance to voice their opinions and concerns about the status of policing in the city.
According to the RCMP, the goal of the open houses is to establish a working relationship between residents and officers to help the RCMP better serve the community. Superintendent Lee Brachmann says while stats and numbers can be valuable for police, community voices are what matter most.
“Our policing stats and crime stats tell one side of the story, but we really want to know what people are really seeing and hearing in the community,” he says.
“Getting their input on not only what are some of the issues, but working with us collaboratively to identify some potential solutions, whether that is police only, or working with the community collaboratively on joint solutions.”
Brachmann adds that the town halls will give police the opportunity to update the public on future RCMP priorities and crime trends observed in 2023.
“We are looking to connect with the community by providing information on our structure, what we’ve been doing, the priorities we’ve been advancing in 2023 and some of the crime trends we’ve been seeing.”
Additionally, residents who attend the meetings will have the opportunity to engage with the RCMP directly in a question and answer period following presentations.
“We want to solicit their feedback in terms of what’s going well, what are opportunities for improvement.”
“We all live and work in the Grande Prairie community, and we want to make sure we are hitting the right notes and keeping this city as safe as we can.”
The three town halls are scheduled for November 7th from 12:30-2:00 p.m., November 15th from 7:00-8:30 p.m., and November 30th from 4:00-5:30 p.m.