ST. PAUL - Just months after debating if the municipality would proceed with including one Community Peace Officer (CPO) in its 2023 budget, council has agreed to the hiring of a second CPO to offer more coverage and address ongoing needs in the community.
On June 26, Director of Protective Services/Municipal Enforcement Trevor Kotowich approached council with the request to seek out someone local to not online hire, but also train, as a CPO.
While speaking to council, he recalled how just one year ago, the municipality had three CPOs. Then, within months, there were no CPOs employed by the Town for a short while. During budget discussions, council agreed to the hiring of a CPO, rather than a bylaw officer, and the current CPO was hired in late 2022.
Simply put, one CPO cannot meet the demands and respond to all the calls that area coming in, said Kotowich. He also noted that Municipal Enforcement also gets requests to attend large gatherings, and often those requests cannot be fulfilled.
"We try our very best to accommodate," said Kotowich.
Monday was the CPO's scheduled day off, which results in Kotowich dealing with bylaw issues throughout the day, he noted, adding, the CPO has a "significant workload" and he is concerned about officer burnout.
Kotowich requested the Town invest in training for a second CPO, sending the successful candidate to the program in Lac La Biche for training, and having the person enter into a Training and Development Agreement with the Town for a period of time.
Hiring a local person could have many benefits, said Kotowich, noting the person would already be familiar with the area, and would have the ability to build strong relationships with community members.
However, there would be "significant" financial implications that have not been budgeted.
Training is estimated to cost about just over $8,000 and would begin Aug. 21 in Lac La Biche, ending in November. Kotowich recommended looking back to the pool of candidates who applied for the CPO position in November.
"I do feel very strongly about this," said Kotowich.
Following the successful completion of training, the CPO's salary would be the other financial cost. Kotowich noted that no capital purchases would have to be made to support the second CPO.
Coun. Ron Boisvert made a motion to approve the hiring of a second CPO. Following the motion, Boisvert asked Kotowich if he envisioned going back to having three CPOs in the future.
Kotowich responded by saying, the workload for three CPOs does exist, but thankfully a lot of things have been automated in the last two years, which helps reduce the administrative workload, such as the introduction of the e-ticketing system by the province.
He affirmed that CPOs do not deal with criminal matters, and much of their job deals with bylaw enforcement, such as animal control and unsightly premises.
Ultimately, the idea is to cover as many days of the week as possible, with two CPOs in place. The CPOs will not be working together, but separate in an effort to provide more coverage. Kotowich added the it's important to note two CPOs won't be the solution to all the issues being seen, "but it's a start."
Coun. Nathan Taylor asked about financial implications, noting there would be a $100,000 increase required in 2024 to the Municipal Enforcement budget.
CAO Steven Jeffery acknowledged that the municipality would have to decide if municipal enforcement services take precedence over other services that could be cut back, or if a tax increase would be required.
Mayor Maureen noted that public safety is a priority, and the public should be aware of what it costs.
Earlier in the year, the Town of St. Paul applied for crime prevention grant with the provincial government in the hopes that it would allow the municipality to pay for some of the costs associated with hiring a second CPO. That grant was denied.
"They won't even give me the information on who received this funding," said Jeffery. He noted that the grant filled out well and he did not feel the Town "missed the mark."
Following discussions, a motion to approve the hiring of a second CPO was carried.
