North Battleford announces increased patrols for downtown
CBC
The City of North Battleford is launching a multi-agency approach to address concerns about safety.
The plan will include a patrol team of social agencies, community safety officers and RCMP members who will be dedicated to the city's downtown.
Mayor Kelli Hawtin said the increased patrols will be focused on ensuring that everyone using the downtown area can function well together.
"This isn't a project of just policing, which is one of the only tools a municipality has, but this is a project of connecting people to services that they may be needing in times of crisis or other times in their life," Hawtin said.
The patrol team will be focused on connecting people who may be struggling with addiction and health issues in the area to the appropriate services.
Hawtin said people in the downtown area are accessing services for a variety of different reasons that may cause safety issues.
"We have people shopping and seeking entertainment in downtown areas; we have people accessing, you know, things like accountants, lawyers, banks — but we also have people that are accessing important social services," Hawtin said.
The city is working to connect with health professionals and cultural community leaders to accompany police officers on foot patrols.
Ryan How, detachment commander for the Battlefords RCMP, said complex solutions are needed, rather than just increased policing.
"I think everybody's very aware that arresting and charging is not going to be the solution to this," said How.
He said he hopes to increase safety for everyone in the area.
"The goal here is to make the downtown a healthier place to be, a safer place to be for the community and make sure that the people who need help are getting access to it," he said.
The new patrol team will also be using the crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED) model to enhance safety for local business owners. The model is based on the theory that "the proper design and effective use of the built environment can lead to a reduction in the incidence and fear of crime, and an improvement in the quality of life," according to non-profit organization CPTED Canada.
The city expects the program to grow as more partner agencies come on board.
Kassim Abdulraheem cut his first head of hair — his best friend's — when he was in grade nine. He said he "butchered" the haircut then, but still cuts his friend's hair to this day.
Vehicles powered by electricity may soon no longer be limited to the ground, with research in Canada progressing into the testing of e-planes.
The Greater Toronto Area could be in for a rainy St. Patrick's Day weekend.
It was only a few years ago when paramedics in Waterloo region were sounding the alarm about being overworked and lacking necessary resources to effectively do their jobs, but recently they say there's hope.
P.E.I.'s Temporary Foreign Worker Protection Act, which was passed nearly three years ago, will finally take effect next month, but advocates say the legislation doesn't go far enough to address the systemic injustices faced by this vulnerable population.
A researcher who studies political violence says it's important for politicians across parties to condemn violence when it happens, after a Yukon politician's vehicle was vandalized.
This story is part of CBC Health's Second Opinion, a weekly analysis of health and medical science news emailed to subscribers on Saturday mornings. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do that by clicking here.
It's been more than a decade since Nashom Berhane died after a stabbing in Toronto's east end, and since then his sister, Arsema, vowed his death wouldn't become another statistic.
London West Liberal MP Arielle Kayabaga was given a position in Prime Minister Mark Carney's cabinet during a swearing-in ceremony in Ottawa, early Friday afternoon.
As U.S. President Donald Trump keeps threatening Canada's sovereignty with his 51st state comments, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy is calling for unity — as the United Kingdom continues to avoid directly pushing back on Trump's annexation talk.
Newfoundland and Labrador's Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture says a suspected case of avian influenza has been reported in a domestic flock of birds in Conception Bay South.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston took to American cable TV on Thursday to make the case for resolving the ongoing trade dispute between the U.S. and Canada.
A now-scuttled proposal to introduce a four-day school week in New Brunswick's anglophone schools has sparked debate about the potential benefits and challenges for parents and students.