Mayor Fraser Tolmie has seen drugs destroy a family member, so he doesn’t want to see the same thing happen to residents or the community as a whole.
The use of methamphetamines, cocaine and other hard drugs has been a presence in Moose Jaw for the last few years, with the Moose Jaw Police Service and its partners seeing an increase in its usage when responding to calls for service.
The police service presented data about crime rates in Moose Jaw during the Sept. 10 Board of Police Commissioners’ meeting at the Moose Jaw Public Library. One topic that received attention was the use of meth in the community.
“The way I look at the meth issue, is it’s something you don’t want to get out of control,” Tolmie said after the meeting. This means, he continued, that this issue needs to be dealt with early so it doesn’t become a bigger issue in the future.
Drug use is a personal issue for Tolmie since he had a relative who moved from alcohol to drugs to harder drugs, which led to his relative no longer functioning properly.
“So it’s something near and dear to my heart because I’ve seen it in my family,” Tolmie continued. “Just stay off of this stuff.”
What city council wants to do is ensure activities are provided to engage the community and ensure youths have something productive to do while staying off the streets, such as playing sports and being involved with positive role models, the mayor said.
Efforts have been made to do this, including signing an agreement with the Vancouver Whitecaps to support soccer programs, working with the Sask. Selects football program, and partnering with gymnastics and dance programs.
Police have also made an effort to be visible in the community, Tolmie said. They are active in schools and attempt to be positive role models in the community so residents feel safe.
Ensuring there are enough police on the streets means having the finances to fund those positions, he continued. This is why having a strategic plan is important since the Board of Police Commissioners wants to ensure it is focusing on the right areas.
“If we can solve problems through being engaged in the community, engaged in schools and providing good role models, then that is another way of combatting the issues as opposed to throwing money at the issues,” Tolmie added.
The next meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners is Oct. 16.
