With the first day of summer approaching, the Regina Police Service wants Regina residents to know about the different types of work done by the Police Service to enhance the safety of all members of the community. In addition to 9-1-1 response, investigations and traffic safety duties, police officers are also involved in the following work, some of which is carried out in summer, some of it year-round:
- Dewdney Avenue Beat Patrol – From mid-June to mid-September, every Friday and Saturday night, there will be more police officers in the Warehouse District, specifically in the area known as the Dewdney Avenue Bar Strip. Patrol officers already assigned to that zone will have the extra assistance of a “Beat Patrol”: between two and six officers on foot who will engage business owners/managers/employees, customers and other members of the public. Their primary goal is to deter unwanted behaviours that can often lead to criminal activity like assaults and property damage.
- Multi-Agency Liquor Inspection/Enforcement Team – Back again by popular demand, this team is made up of Regina Police Service uniformed and vice-squad members, and inspectors from Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming (SLGA) and Regina Fire and Protective Services. The team will conduct regular, but unannounced, inspections of establishments that distribute beverage alcohol, during their peak hours of operation. The goals are similar to the Beat Patrol with an added focus on businesses complying with legislation on over-serving, serving alcohol to minors and overcrowding. This initiative is funded by SLGA and adds resources to our regular “street strength”.
- SGI Enforcement Overdrive – This is a long-standing year-round initiative, funded by SGI. Between mid-June and mid-September there will be a dozen Enforcement Overdrive projects aimed at detecting and apprehending impaired drivers. These are high-volume, high-visibility roadside check-stops that detect impaired drivers but also deter anyone who might consider driving after consuming alcohol. These check-stops add extra resources to “street strength”.
- SGI Heading Out – Another special-duty initiative, funded bySGI, which has police focused on preventing collisions at high-volume/high-collision-rate intersections. The activities include high-visibility and stealth initiatives that deter aggressive driving and stunting as well as encourage compliance with vehicle equipment standards regulations. We’re talking illegal mufflers/window-tinting/lights…any after-market modification that doesn’t meet legislated standards.
- Crowd Control Team – This is a specialized unit trained in maintaining order in large gatherings: from large concerts to noisy parties and disturbances. Team members engage those present to deter unwanted behaviour and criminal activity. The approach is always to encourage compliance by using the least amount of force; often presence and conversation are enough, but team members do have the training, tactics and equipment needed to resolve more difficult situations.
- SRO Summer Patrol – During the summer school break, School Resource Officers get out on bicycles and on foot on the City’s bike paths, school parks/playgrounds and many green spaces to encourage responsible use of the parks and facilities, especially in the evenings. Last summer, over 2,000 park checks and over 1500 school checks were conducted.
- Neighbourhood Checks – These are collaborative operational projects, usually short-term and adaptable, using uniformed and plainclothes police officers. It’s a strategy of putting police officers in areas where analysis of incidents shows a trend developing, like a series of street robberies or night-time break and enters in a given area. Officers stop and talk to everyone out on the street; it solves crimes and also sends a message that anyone involved in criminal activity has a greater chance of getting caught. For area residents, it sends the reassurance that police are committed to reducing crime and improves their perception of safety.
- Downtown Beat Patrol – These are uniformed patrol members who walk the downtown area with emphasis on areas like Victoria Park, the Cornwall Centre, F.W. Hill Mall, Casino Regina and parkades.
- Service Centres – These are located in the Heritage Community (Old Fire Hall) and the Albert Scott Community Centre. Staff at the Centres do Beat and Bike Patrol throughout the summer, adding their presence to events at Evraz Place, Rider Home Games and also adding resources to numerous special projects like traffic check stops, warrant initiatives, neighbourhood checks and prostitution stings.
- Special Event Operational Plans – Whether it’s Canada Day, a Rider Home Game or a major concert at Mosaic stadium, the Regina Police Service creates an operational plan for any major event that addresses public safety, security of property and safe traffic flow for pedestrians, motorists and emergency services personnel. Most major event operational plans have similar elements that are modified to provide appropriate resources for each event and venue.