Councillors are reacting with an open but non-committal mind to a new report from the RCMP that could either add new officers to the roster or change how the community is policed.
A report commissioned for the local RCMP used a national computer model to analyze the calls St. Albert officers respond to and the time taken up in responding to them.
The report was completed in September and served as the basis for a proposal to add six new officers that went before councillors during the 2010 budget.
City councillors left those officers on the unfunded list, but they also did not see the report justifying them before they made their decision.
If approved, the officers would have cost the city $367,800 next year and $735,600 per year thereafter.
The computer model aims to have 25 per cent of officers’ time reserved for more proactive work, patrolling neighbourhoods rather than simply running from call to call.
Insp. Warren Dosko told the Gazette earlier this week that simply adding more officers is not the only solution to the report and council could instead change the way the city is policed. He said administration plans to review the whole report with council and look at possible changes.
The St. Albert RCMP currently work on a ‘no call too small’ approach, which sees them responding to every call, even minor crimes where there is often little an officer can do.
Coun. Lorie Garritty said he welcomes the opportunity to review the way the detachment operates, but he hasn’t made up his mind on what, if anything, should change.
“It certainly doesn’t hurt to review our priorities every now and then.”
Garritty said he believes the current model is a good one, but he will wait to hear the other options.
“I know the concept of ‘no call too small’ is a good one and it is a good one for small towns and big cities.”
Mayor Nolan Crouse said he also welcomes a discussion, but he simply doesn’t know enough to weigh in just yet.
He said the city has already moved to a more intelligence-led form of policing through neighbourhood development teams and the crime analysts the detachment now employs.
He said it might be difficult to get over the public’s desire to have an officer respond to even minor calls, but he is open to the suggestion.
“The public has confidence right now that when they call, someone is going to come.”
New statistics
Numbers from Statistics Canada released this week show the detachment’s clearance rate is actually showing a slight decline despite increased funding.
The agency releases a report every year detailing the amount cities across the country are spending on policing and the subsequent results.
In 2009, St. Albert spent $76 per capita on policing and had a clearance rate — the rate at which crimes are solved — of 33.5 per cent. Last year the number was $71 per capita and a 34 per cent clearance rate.
Dosko said if the number had slipped considerably he would be greatly concerned, but it appears to be remaining constant.
St. Albert has a very low overall crime rate, but higher levels of minor crimes like vandalism and thefts from vehicles that are more difficult to solve.
“When you look at crimes like thefts and mischief these crimes tend to drag down your clearance rate.”
