(File photo/paNOW)

By Cam Lee

Citizens on Patrol meeting

Chamber in Melfort organizing Citizens on Patrol meeting

Apr 30, 2024 | 12:00 PM

Melfort residents and business owners will once again have a chance to learn more about keeping an eye out for crime.

The Melfort Trade Alliance Chamber of Commerce (MTACC) is hosting a Citizens on Patrol (COP) meeting May 6 at the Melfort Legion. This comes on the heels of a Neighbourhood Watch information meeting last week.

MTACC Executive Director Cal Gratton told northeastNOW that Battlefords Citizen on Patrol Chair Doug Fehr had contacted the chamber about organizing a COP meeting following a similar successful meeting in Tisdale.

Gratton said there have been concerns from some local businesses about crime in the community, and how it’s affecting them.

“Businesses have to maybe hire different staff or do some different arranging inside their stores, and outside their stores,” Gratton explained. “Some of these businesses own larger lots, and they need to put up cameras.”

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The efforts of local businesses to limit theft and other crimes come with added costs, said Gratton, including setting up security cameras and adding extra staff. Many local businesses find it difficult to come up with the money to be able to take these steps.

Gratton spoke with Melfort Staff Sgt. Ryan Case before finalizing the event to make sure the RCMP were on board with the idea. As with the Neighbourhood Watch program, Staff Sgt. Case said the RCMP supported any community-led crime watch initiative. Case will be at the Citizens on Patrol program meeting May 6.

Gratton said he’s familiar with the Citizens on Patrol program, but not with the specific details of the initiative, and he’s looking forward to learning more at the meeting.

“Doug (Fehr) and Ryan (Case) are going to be talking about the Citizens on Patrol program, how to establish a group, and how to run that group efficiently and effectively, and what a Citizens on Patrol group accomplishes and what procedures it uses,” explained Gratton. The meeting will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Businesses in the city have already been sharing surveillance footage, pictures, and other information on suspicious or criminal activity, according to Gratton. He said the criminal element in the city is getting smarter and talk amongst themselves as well.

“It’s a business community…they all want to make sure all businesses survive in the area.”

Staff Sgt. Case told the crowd at the Neighbourhood Watch information meeting that much of the criminal element in Melfort comes from outside the community, and Gratton agrees. He said there will likely be another Citizens on Patrol meeting in the future, as many people will have additional questions.

The meeting is free of charge, and you don’t need a Chamber membership to attend.

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Cam.lee@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @northeastNOW_SK