REGINA - Regina Police Service are setting up a permanent presence at Cornwall Centre in downtown Regina.
A space is being set up in the spring of 2025 which will serve as a hub for Regina Police Service at the mall. It will house activities of the Downtown Safety Team, serving as a work space for them.
Kendra Wren is general manager at Cornwall Centre. She said this idea started as a boardroom vision, with the space based on what they saw at other malls elsewhere.
Wren noted this idea was a natural progression, given the increased downtown safety efforts happening.
“It was more the natural partnership that came from the downtown safety team and the AROs (alternative response officers),” said Wren. “We saw that there was an opportunity for partnership to better the downtown, and so that's the reason we moved forward with it.”
Wren pointed to the impact that having that extra added level of security should have for those downtown. “I think visibility is everything, and from a customer, shopper standpoint, knowing that RPS is in our downtown is going to be a good part of it. So I'd say, in the spring, I just feel like that extra level added of safety will probably bring peace of mind.”
The space is being fully provided by Cornwall Centre. There is no rent, and no formal arrangement that RPS be there for any certain amount of time.
“It's for the greater good of the community. And we were just able to provide the space.”
Regina Police Chief Farooq Sheikh pointed to this idea being used elsewhere where he has worked.
“I worked in the two largest police services in England. I also worked in Calgary. And every one of those, we had a little satellite station or office space for some of our cops to work out of,” said Sheikh.
“So I understand the benefits of it because I want to make sure that people feel safe. And I also want to make sure that we have a good relationship with the Cornwall shopping centres. And I also want to be there to help people to engage, to communicate and have a visible presence. So for me, it's worked around the world where I've worked and I wanted to see it here as well. Because I think every downtown needs a police presence.”
Sheikh said it was his expectation that his officers are patrolling all of downtown, but “they've got a base so they don't have to go back to the police station.”
“So if they want to go and speak to somebody, they want to go deal with somebody, they want to go and do some reports, or if they want to park their push bikes, they can do that as well.”
This was not about improving response times, Sheikh said, but about “having that visible presence to increase trusted confidence, community engagement, signposts, even to do some recruitment strategies at the same time.”
