The future of the St. Paul & Area Safer Community Task Force is still up in the air after the committee put off a decision on whether or not the group should dissolve.
Judy Bogdan sits on the task force and voiced her concern about not feeling like a “united force” anymore, at the group’s last meeting on April 24. She says she joined the group in hopes of being “part of a team” with a common goal of creating a safe community.
Town of St. Paul councillors Pat Gratton and Norm Noel attended the meeting as town representatives and listened to the concerns being voiced, along with offering some background on the task force and options for the future.
The task force was initially created to support two enhanced RCMP officers working toward crime prevention, said Gratton. He added that those enhanced positions no longer exist.
At one time, there was also funding in place for a crime prevention coordinator, but that funding no longer exists either.
Noreen Cotton, executive director of the Columbus House of Hope women’s shelter, chaired the meeting and pointed out that if the goals of the task force have been met, it would be acceptable to dissolve, although she encouraged members to get more of the involved parties to attend the next meet to make that decision.
Bogdan said she hears crime is increasing in the area, and suggested a revamping of the task force might be in order if the necessary parties get involved, such as the RCMP.
Dolu Ashani, the Town of St. Paul FCSS outreach advocate, said he felt the continuity of the task force may be very important to the community. He also read a letter from Linda Boone, the town’s FCSS director, stating similar sentiments.
Diane Tyler-Moon from St. Paul Community Learning Association joined the task force in September and offered the task force funding for projects, but nothing has been done and the task force has taken no action over the past seven months.
“There is no action in this task force,” said Tyler-Moon.
Cotton said a face-to-face meeting with the new staff sergeant at the St. Paul RCMP detachment is in order. And Bogdan added the task force also needs to elect an executive if it wants to continue to operate.
“My thoughts are that this really can work if the right steps are achieved,” said Cotton.
Bogdan also stressed the importance of getting out in the community and working with people at a grassroots level to reduce crime and create a safe community for all people. She noted it is crucial for the Town of St. Paul council to take leadership in the task force.
“I know where it’s been, and I know where it could be,” said Bogdan, adding, in the end, it’s the community that suffers.
Noel agreed to take on the role of contacting some of the “key people” who were not at last week’s meeting, such as the Chamber of Commerce, RCMP, and the rest of town council.
“There are some very serious things happening in this community,” said Bogdan, who was planning on stepping away from the task force, but was encouraged by the other members to stay involved a little longer.
In the end, no decisions were made regarding the task force, but a meeting is scheduled for May 22, in hopes of having more members of the task force attend the meeting to make a decision on whether or not it should dissolve.
