Walkways around the city will be subject to a midnight to 6 a.m. curfew. (file photo/paNOW Staff) 

By Glenn Hicks

curfew

PAGC responds to city walkways curfew

Feb 26, 2020 | 4:50 PM

The Prince Albert Grand Council appears to be in favour of the new bylaw passed by the city that bans anyone from being on walkways between midnight and 6 a.m. They are also responding to concerns that the bylaw could lead to Indigenous people being disproportionately targeted by police.

The curfew was passed by city council earlier this week and is aimed at combatting crime. It gives police the powers to stop, search and fine offenders who fall foul of the law. The Rotary Trail and sidewalks are not part of the ban.

“We at the Prince Albert Council and its membership are part of the Prince Albert community,” PAGC Director of Justice Rick Sanderson said as part of a prepared statement. “This means that we also strive for community safety whether it be our property or our own personal safety. It’s our hope this bylaw was designed to assist all of us in doing this.”

The PAGC addressed the concerns raised about certain sections of the community being unfairly targeted. The statement used police stop checks for impaired driving as an example of how these are designed to protect everyone on the roads and do not tar everyone with the same brush of suspicion.

“Although a number of people are stopped, it is not saying that all people are driving impaired,” Sanderson said. “If a person is in the back alleys [walkways] late at night for a lawful reason and they are stopped and questioned, we should appreciate that the police are doing their job to protect us and our property.”

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The majority of councillors said the curfew is a direct response to the property crime that is rampant in the city, but one councillor, Terra Lennox-Zepp, has always rejected the move in part because she argues it could lead to profiling and racism.

The PAGC statement also spoke to those concerns:

“It is our hopes that equity in policing will be practiced and if any officer were to abuse the true intent of this bylaw, we are confident the PA Police Service (PAPS) will investigate any allegations and take appropriate action,” Sanderson said.

paNOW asked police how the bylaw would be rolled out now that it was formally approved by council.

In a statement, PAPS said there wasn’t enough time for administrators to review the bylaw since it was passed by council Monday night, but they may be in a better position to discuss it in a few weeks once there are more details available.

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glenn.hicks@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@princealbertnow