An Enhanced Policing Program in High Level will be starting this month. The town is currently down a Peace Officer so there’s a surplus in the policing budget, but are understaffed.
The High Level RCMP will be entering an agreement to provide two officers, two days a week for policing the downtown area to support the working Peace Officer during the same time frame. The RCMP officers working in the position would be on a request basis from the town when needed and would be brought in on overtime.
High Level’s Director of Protective Service, Rodney Schmidt says trying to get another Peace Officer hired is a lengthy process “council’s just examining our Peace Officer Program, so we don’t want to make any big moves on hiring at the moment.” Schmidt says they are using the RCMP in the Enhanced Policing Program Option 2 to fill the vacancy and keep coverage levels the same.
The Enhanced Policing Program Option 2 will be a trial for the summer, ending October 31st, and then reports will be taken to Town Council to make plans on policing and CPO programming in 2022.
-Erika Rolling, Trending 55 Newsroom
