Emily Plihal
Local Journalism
Initiative Reporter

Town of Peace River is working to ensure the safety of its residents, recently announcing a new public safety services pilot project set to commence on July 15.

“We are constantly listening to residents and businesses about their concerns with social disorder and have been working hard to provide solutions,” says Mayor Elaine Manzer.

“This three-month pilot project represents a significant commitment by the Town to address some of these concerns.”

The project comes to fruition after extensive consultations with impacted residents and business owners. As a result of the consultations, council directed administration to negotiate a three-month agreement with Apex Security.

“Public Safety Services will be working 24/7 across Peace River for the next three months,” explains Manzer.

“The $240,000 allocated for the Apex Pilot Project will come from the Town’s operating reserves,” she adds.

Public safety services will include increased patrols, surveillance, and assistance for business and residents dealing with public disturbances.

“Officers assigned to the PSU will provide dedicated security and enforcement to areas of town identified as requiring enhanced visibility, frequent patrols in assigned areas and facilities and be the lead enforcement resource for issues related to social disorder, trespassing and encampments,” Manzer says.

“We hope that the increased patrols, surveillance and assistance for business owners and residents dealing with low level social disorder and public disturbances will deter criminal activity and provide peace of mind to our community members and visitors to the town.”

Manzer says the project was initiated because council heard the desire to have this service in the community and she says it will require careful assessment after the project’s conclusion to decide on the steps to take afterward.

“We hope our community members will feel more secure in going about their regular routines,” says Manzer.

“At the end of three months, council will review the services, but we encourage all residents and stakeholders to provide feedback during the project. The feedback will be valuable in assessing the success of the initiative and making an informed decision about the future of public safety initiatives in our community.”

The project will run from July 15 until Oct. 15 and the Town will be carefully monitoring the effectiveness and impact.

Manzer says they urge anyone to report their concerns by calling Apex Security at (1-877) 587-2739.