Grande Prairie’s top cop is looking to hear from the public when it comes to policing issues throughout the region. While the community involvement would normally come in the form of a series of town halls with Superintendent Sean Curry in attendance, the pandemic has police taking a different route.
Grande Prairie RCMP Sergeant Shawn Graham says the hope is for those in the community to make their concerns heard through an online survey. He says the comments they get from the public will be used by Superintendent Curry to help not only identify potential trends but also be used in the planning of the detachment’s annual performance plan.
“If the community provides us information, then we would be able to focus resources in those areas, or come up with projects and things to deal with the specific kind of concerns that are being addressed by the community,” he explains.
Sergeant Graham says they’re hoping to cover not only the City of Grande Prairie, but the towns of Clairmont and Sexsmith, the hamlets of Debolt, Grovedale, Ridgevalley, and Crooked Creek, the Municipal District of Greenview, and the County of Grande Prairie as well.
He adds the relationship between civilians and police is vital in trying to proactively prevent crimes from happening. He also notes the role those in the community play in policing is important, now more than ever.
“It’s a partnership; they’re the eyes and ears for us sometimes and them reporting something in the first place can ultimately lead to the safety of the area, a crime being prevented.”
The survey is expected to run from February 8th to February 18th.