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Extra police to patrol downtown and Crescent Park starting in May

The police service implemented foot patrols in the downtown and Crescent Park this winter in response to concerns from residents and business owners about potential unlawful activity.
crescent park entrance early spring
Crescent Park (Larissa Kurz photograph)

The Moose Jaw Police Service plans to enhance its foot patrols this spring around downtown and in Crescent Park after residents and business owners raised concerns about safety in those areas. 

The police service has received many calls from the community over the past couple of years about potential unlawful activity in those places and the perceived lack of safety and security, explained Supt. Devon Oleniuk. 

In response, the law enforcement agency implemented a foot patrol this past winter whenever the weather was agreeable and when there was extra activity downtown. The foot patrols provide a greater visible police presence to ensure residents and business owners feel safe and allow more engagement with the public.

The police service actually started its foot patrols in December 2021 in response to rallies against pandemic mandates

The police service plans to augment this program beginning in May with additional officers when appropriate, including a combination of foot patrols and bicycle patrols, Oleniuk said during the April 19 Board of Police Commissioners meeting. This would also include a higher presence in the evenings when activities occur.

“We will have a combination of a patrol member as well as our strategic services unit. They’re currently working in schools, so once summertime comes, they’ll have a lot more time to dedicate (to this initiative),” he remarked. 

The Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) wants to handle this issue as a priority call for service, so it has implemented a new code to better track the responses around downtown and in Crescent Park, Oleniuk added.

Commissioner Mayor Clive Tolley praised the police service for attending the Rally for Ukraine on April 10, pointing out the presence of so many officers ensured that a major incident was avoided between people of differing viewpoints about the Russia-Ukraine war.  

Tolley also noted that he attended the Crescent Park Foundation’s recent annual general meeting, where members discussed their concerns about safety in the park.

“As they continue to raise capital funds and improve the park, they want the park used and they want people to be free to go there,” he said. “So I’m very encouraged by your strategies here and I look forward to people being able to use the park safely.”

The mayor’s example of the potential confrontation during the rally is a situation that demonstrates how democracy works and how everyone has the right to freedom of speech and thought in a democratic country, said Oleniuk. 

“I agree with you … that our members did a commendable job there despite the unrest of the majority of the people there and it worked out favourably, with everybody safe in the end,” he added.

Commissioner Doug Blanc thought it was great for the police service to increase its presence in those areas, especially since residents have contacted him with concerns. With Sidewalk Days making a return this year, he wondered if there would be more police there than in past years.

There will be a larger police presence at Sidewalk Days and other events when warranted, said Oleniuk. It won’t just be one or two extra officers; the organization will provide as many resources as it can since it enjoys these events. 

“And I know a lot of our members continue to enjoy those interactions in that setting, as opposed to the typical police environment we work in every day,” he added.

The next Board of Police Commissioners meeting is Thursday, May 19.   

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