Regina addressing downtown safety with new community patrol group

The City of Regina is launching a new, one-year pilot program to make its downtown feel safer.

Starting in June, a four-person community support team will be patrolling the area, responding to non-emergent, safety and security issues. It will help the vulnerable affected by mental health, addictions and homelessness.

The program is based off a similar initiative that has been running in Saskatoon since 2012, with a goal to connect people in need with the appropriate services.

“Whether it’s a bottle of water, a meal or access to services, I think it’s incumbent on all of us as a community and downtown in particular to try and find a way to provide that support,” said Judith Veresuk, executive director of the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID).

The pilot will be jointly funded by the City of Regina, RDBID and the Regina Police Service with a budget of approximately $267,000.

“The City of Regina is committed to the vision of becoming more vibrant, inclusive, attractive and sustainable but in order to achieve this, we recognize that we must attend to the health and well-being of our most vulnerable community members,” Mayor Sandra Masters said.

The support team will be trained in a number of skills including de-escalation, mediation, mental health, first aid, trauma support and culturally informed practices.

Police Chief Evan Bray said it provides extra eyes and ears in the downtown area, calling it a win-win, with the potential to free up more police officers.

“Many of the calls police were handling, or are handling, are calls that aren’t necessarily a police matter. They’re calls that can be assisted or more efficiently dealt with by another group, another organization who’s set up, trained and connected to deal with it,” said Bray.

A community well-being steering committee is also being formed to provide guidance. It will be made up of representatives from the city, police, RDBID, an Indigenous elder and an “individual with lived experience.”

The four-person support team will be walking in pairs over two shifts. They’re mandated to be operational Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. That’s anticipated to be expanded to Saturdays and from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m., depending on the day and the season.