Steinbach Mayor Chris Goertzen and City Council are pleased with the launch of the new Mayor’s Task Force on Public Safety.
The members of the Task Force include Councillor Michael Zwaagstra (Chair), Councillor Cari Penner (Vice-Chair), Rueben Singh, Trevor Arsenault, and Bernie Hiebert. Steinbach RCMP Staff Sergeant Davy Lee will be assisting the Task Force as Special Advisor. They will begin their work next month.
Public safety is a topic that deserves extra attention and regular review, said Mayor Goertzen. The individuals delegated to this Task Force will undoubtedly identify effective ways to strengthen and improve public safety in our community.
The issue of public safety came up a lot during the last election campaign, said Councillor Michael Zwaagstra. People want to know that we are doing everything we can to reduce crime in our city. There are a number of important issues regarding public safety and the people on this task force will have the opportunity to tackle them head on.
The Mayors Task Force on Public Safety has the following mandate:
• Review crime levels in Steinbach and identify key problem areas;
• Research current best practices of safety in other urban centres;
• Identify ways in which existing crime prevention and reduction tools can be strengthened;
• Evaluate how the effectiveness of current police coverage in Steinbach may be enhanced;
• Explore how to use urban design features (i.e. lighting, building layout, etc.) to assist in crime prevention.
Mayor Goertzen has asked the Task Force to submit a final report to him by January 1, 2012. Council would be expected to review it shortly after.
