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Carstairs gets its own cop

Tuesday, Jan 17, 2012 03:00 am | By Jennifer Isaac

By this summer, Carstairs residents will have their own RCMP officer patrolling the streets.

During the January 9 town council meeting, mayor and council authorized and approved an Enhanced Policing Agreement with Alberta Solicitor General and Public Safety.

“As a result of the Peace Officer Level 1 position being vacated, administration reviewed both the Peace Officer Program as well as the Enhanced Policing Program,” said Mayor Lance Colby. “Although the Peace Officer Program has been very beneficial to the Town of Carstairs, it seems that the Enhanced Policing Program may be a better fit for our growing community, at a comparable cost.”

The member will fall under Didsbury detachment supervision.

“The Didsbury detachment will go from a 10-member to an 11-member detachment,” said Sgt. Jeff Jacobson, detachment commander with the Didsbury RCMP. “The extra member will be specifically slated for Carstairs and will spend the majority of their time working the streets of Carstairs.”

The annual cost of the program is approximately $130,000 and includes the member’s salary, vehicle cost, fuel expenses, etc.

“The agreement will be signed for three years,” added Jacobson. “The member would maintain a 40-hour a week schedule and would be administered by the RCMP.”

He pointed out that Carstairs was going through a transition with the town’s peace officer. “One option was to have a member so that the mandate would be wider,” Jacobson said. “The member would have a full range of abilities to handle anything, including drug matters and criminal code issues.

“This program will further increase the value to citizens.”

He asserted that the crime rate in Carstairs has not increased, and that this is not the reason for implementing the program.

“Carstairs is very proactive in staying on top,” Jacobson said. “This is just another initiative. We’re staying ahead of the curve and ensuring the safety of the citizens.”

The Town of Carstairs is paying for the position and Jacobson hopes to have a member recruited sometime between April and July.

“We want them to start as soon as possible,” he said.

Bylaw officer Arlene Andrews will continue to act in her capacity, said Colby. “Her duties won’t change,” he said.

“With our population growing to 4,000, this service will be better for the town and be more cost-effective,” he added. “We thought it would be safer. As we grow, we thought it would be better to have a uniformed presence in our community.

“I’m pleased to see we’re going to have a full-time police officer here, for the safety of our community.”

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