Okotoks law enforcement made themselves available to the community Wednesday evening.
As part of an initiative to generate feedback from the public, Okotoks RCMP and Okotoks Municipal Enforcement members were on hand for a town hall session at the Centennial Arenas events room on Feb. 22.
“Just talking with people, we’re hearing a lot of the same themes; people want to see us out there doing traffic enforcement, community engagement, community events,” said RCMP Staff Sgt. Zane Semeniuk, who commands the Okotoks detachment.
“Some is stuff we’ve heard before, but it’s stuff we’re glad to be hearing, just talking about the priorities for 2023-2024.
“A lot of times those priorities don’t change, but if you don’t talk to people, you don’t get their input.”
While they didn’t pack the room, Semeniuk was pleased with the steady flow of visitors giving them actionable information, some of which he said highlights the challenges the Mounties face day to day.
“They’re looking at wanting more patrols, 24 hours a day, they want more police visibility, and they’re not wrong,” Semeniuk said. “The more you can be out of the office, the more you see things, but at the same time, everyone’s running short; you wish you had a full roster, but you don’t always have one.
“So you have to look at your policing services and how you provide the best product, and that’s what we’re doing today, we're trying to fine tune what we can and can't do on a daily weekly basis.”
Stacey Tuck moved to the town about a year ago, and was pleased to get the chance to meet with the police and peace officers who mind her community.
“I think it’s great they have this open to the public, and it seemed like a decent turnout, so hopefully they take some of these [comments] into consideration,” said Tuck, whose primary concern was keeping residential roads safe for families.
“There’s multiple children on our cul de sac, including mine, so it does concern me.”
Despite her concerns, her overall impression of the community is positive.
“I feel very safe here and there’s also a good sense of community as well,” Tuck said.
