Community Safety Advisory Committee progress report

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

Family and Community Support Services Coordinator David Green appeared before Town Council on Monday, March 12 to give a progress report about the recently formed Community Safety Advisory Committee.  The committee met on February 16 "To discuss issues related to vagrancy, homelessness, intoxication, and panhandling," said Green.

"Following lengthy discussion, the committee realized we were probably making some completely unfounded assumptions about the folks that we were discussing in the community.  The committee agreed that it really had
no first hand knowledge about whether those folks really wanted help, what kind of help would they most benefit from, the location for delivery of that kind of help, timing, what the actual serious needs are among that population, and whether or not those folks might not be willing to work in exchange for some of that assistance," Green explained.


"To that end, the committee agreed to prepare a questionnaire to be used as a very brief, informal inquiry tool on the street."

Green said the questionnaire would be implemented by various agencies, including RCMP detachments in Pincher Creek and Brocket, Pincher Creek Bylaw Services, the Napi Friendship Centre, Pincher Creek Health Centre, Peigan Health Services, and Peigan Prevention Services.

"Because they are recognized as front-line service providers, we also recognize that this inquiry is going to take a little additional time on their part, and we're asking them for their help in gathering this information."

"I suspect it will take us a while to gather that information, specially as the spring season moves on, but we'll have the information probably within three or four weeks," Green continued.

Green said the committee had discovered there was an available budget for an Aboriginal Liason Officer, "such as the community had in 2001."

"So Bylaw and your CAO and myself are discussing the matter with the RCMP, and it has been suggested there are several options open to us in terms of securing that position."

Green also told Council that Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) was lobbying the Provincial Government for a 7% increase in funding.  He said "Provincial FCSS budgets have not moved since 2008."  He asked Council for a letter of support, which he had already drafted for the Mayor and the MD Reeve to consider.


Related link: Community Safety Committee approved