Turner Valley RCMP is seeking public feedback on policing needs in the High Country area before moving ahead with this year’s annual performance plan.
Staff Sgt. Laura Akitt is working with municipalities to post an online survey and host public meetings throughout March to determine what residents see as policing priorities in the Black Diamond, Eden Valley, Longview, Millarville, Priddis and Turner Valley areas. The survey runs March 1 to 31.
“We would like insight on what has been working well in the communities, what hasn’t been working and what the police could improve on,” said Akitt. “It will help me put together our annual performance plan to ensure that we meet the requirement and policing for the communities that we’re in.”
Akitt said questions in the online survey will centre around people’s perception of public safety in their community, how they feel about certain issues and how those issues could be improved upon.
In addition to the survey, public meetings will be held in Priddis and Eden Valley, as well as either Black Diamond, Turner Valley or Longview for those communities and the surrounding area, said Akitt.
Akitt and her management team will be in attendance.
“I want to allow individuals to have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with us and have that face-to-face interaction and for us to hear their concerns and comments,” she said. “It’s to engage in the community and have an idea of their concerns and expectations in their community.”
The first information session will take place during the High Country Rural Crime Watch Association’s annual general meeting March 2 at 7 p.m. in the Priddis Community Hall.
Town meetings will soon be scheduled for Eden Valley and one for Longview, Black Diamond and Turner Valley area residents in one of the three communities, said Akitt. Dates and locations have not yet been determined.
Akitt said the public information sessions will give residents an opportunity to speak to the Turner Valley RCMP management team directly.
“I believe it’s important to reach out to all our communities in the detachment area to give them that opportunity to speak directly to me,” she said. “It also puts a face to a name of members of the community that don’t see me and it gives me the opportunity to speak to members of the community.”
Surveys will be posted on the Town of Black Diamond, Village of Longview and Town of Turner Valley websites on March 1.
