As the Grande Prairie Police Service continues building up its roster for their upcoming takeover of city policing from the RCMP, GPPS Chief of Police Dwayne Lakusta says residents can look forward to a number of developments in 2024.
According to Lakusta, three classes of officers are set to hit the streets in the new year, with two “experienced officer” classes and one recruit class, totaling around 24 members in 2024. He says advertisement opportunities are already underway and residents should see recruitment efforts “before the end of 2023.”
“What I’m excited about is starting with our first recruit class, which is going to take place in Q2 of 2024, and our first experienced officers class,” he says.
Lakusta says the gradual change includes the GPPS taking control of municipal enforcement, and the city’s outreach program. He says those current programs will be utilized appropriately and provide GPPS officers the opportunity to engage in larger scale operations in the city.
Lakusta’s “integrated model” is meant to strike a balance between intervention and enforcement, and the Chief says the model will open up options for street engaged individuals to be put on a clean path forward before having to resort to crime.
“The approach we’re going to be taking with this integrated model is we’re going to be providing and sending the right resources for the right reasons to calls for service, that may mean outreach, that may mean a badge and a gun that’s showing up, but we want to make sure that we’re providing that right resource to the calls for service.”
While Lakusta maintains that while his police service will be committed to providing alternative service for those who need it, those who commit crimes will be held accountable to keep the city safe for residents.
“Rest assured that as we move forward it’s not all about diversion and providing that alternative response, people will still go to jail,” he says. “Those who continue to cause the most harm in our community, those who continue to engage in recidivist behaviour, those who cause the most fear in our community, they’re going to go to jail, people need to feel safe.”
Additionally, Lakusta says 2024 could mark the beginning of a blended police service meaning if and when residents make a call for service, they might receive a team of RCMP and GPPS members to provide care.
