Chief Bergen discussed a new proactive policing unit during Thursday's Board of Police Commissioners meeting. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Crime

Police Chief says city wide base tax will create new ‘proactive’ unit

Apr 22, 2021 | 5:00 PM

Prince Albert residents are getting a better description of how an annual $35 base tax per household will be used, beyond just paying for more officers.

A model for a “proactive policing unit” was discussed during Thursday’s Board of Police Commissioners meeting. Chief Jon Bergen explained the $554,000 generated from the approved base tax will fund four police offers, who will be part of a special unit that address current crime trends, looks after repeated problem addresses, and offers patrol officers further support.

“By having this proactive unit we would be able to go year round with a permanent swing shift,” he said.

Bergen went on to explain frontline patrol officers face immense pressures with respect to calls for service.

“It’s more than twice the national average” Bergen said. “And if we had the national average of police officers managing our callout, we ‘d have another 116 police officers here in Prince Albert.”

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According to the city’s crime statistics for the month of March, there were 3,263 calls for service. This represented roughly 500 more than the same month in 2020, and was the highest number when looking back on the past five years,

“From a population perspective we are over staffed, but yet when you look at our calls for service and demands from the community for policing, we are under staffed,” Bergen said.

A chart provided to the board comparing calls for service for the province’s three biggest cities. (Meeting agenda package/City of Prince Albert)

The plan put forward would be in effect for the next six years, and any reserve funds would be held to offset more expensive years. Mayor Greg Dionne questioned how visible the unit will be; to which Bergen replied “very”, adding they will likely be doing 10 hour shifts, four days a week.

“They will be working at key times when patrol is having an unusually busy shift and they need support, [the unit] would support patrol,” Bergen said.

Bergen also noted any work done will be measured and reported back to both the board and city council. Ward one Councillor Charlene Miller explained “bike shops” are a big problem in her ward.

“I am very concerned how we just travel down the street, see them, and just keep going,” she said, adding in a lot of cases the thieves are “stealing from children.”

Bergen confirmed Miller’s concern was a good example of one area the new unit could address.

The $35 annual base tax, approved by council at a meeting on April. 15, will be applied to all properties in the city. Multi-unit residential properties would be charged per unit.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell