Re: ‘Police make pitch for more officers,’ Dec. 4 Gazette.
I found it interesting that the police are looking to hire more officers and simultaneously are looking for office space to accommodate an additional 30 staff as there are currently 100 working in the present office.
Perhaps one solution would be to put more people out of the office onto the streets where their very presence should assist in reducing crime. That in turn would reduce the paperwork, thus reducing the need for so many people in the office and eliminating the need for additional real estate space. A win-win-win-win scenario!
I would also note that St.. Albert has the reputation for fairly low crime rates (and high taxes) so it would not appear necessary to consider such a large increase in the detachment complement. Better to have a close look at how resources are allocated and redeploy people more effectively in the community.
Peter Lindhout, St. Albert
