NORTH BATTLEFORD - City council in North Battleford got the bad news at their meeting Monday that the community is not getting a Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods satellite office.
In a letter dated Dec. 6 to Mayor David Gillan, Minister of Corrections and Policing Christine Tell confirmed the community is not getting a SCAN office, but pointed to other resources being supplied to North Battleford.
SCAN investigation units are currently based in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince
Albert and are available across the province, targeting properties habitually used for unlawful activities that impact the community. It was noted that for 2022 up to Dec. 6, SCAN had investigated 12 files in North Battleford and 13 in Battleford.
In her correspondence, Tell pointed to the announcement of a second Crime Reduction Team to be based out of the North Battleford RCMP detachment. She also pointed to the creation of the Saskatchewan Marshals Service which will provide additional law enforcement presence.
“While we are unable to support your request for the provincial government to fund a SCAN office in the city of North Battleford, we look forward to the future success of your two CRTs and the SMS,” Tell stated.
This latest news was met by disappointment at the city council meeting Monday.
“Being denied by the provincial government is not a good thing,” said Councillor Bill Ironstand, who said the government was “dropping the ball.”
“The numbers completely warrant this in our region and again the provincial government snubbed us and bypassed us,” Ironstand said. “We need to let them know we’re not happy with how they’re treating us in this area. That’s a few things now that they’ve said no to us as a community, as a region. We need, we don’t want, we need these things in our community and again they’re telling us no.”
“I feel your frustration,” responded Mayor Gillan, who added he was “a little less frustrated than I used to be.”
Gillan pointed to other resources being supplied to North Battleford as announced in the Throne Speech, such as the additional Crime Reduction Team.
“We’re starting to get on their radar,” the mayor said. Gillan added “we just have to keep up our voice, we want more resources, we need more resources.”
Gillan also said the city would continue to watch the SCAN program develop in their community “because we do have a problem in our community.”
