The Moose Jaw Police Service (MJPS) has purchased a solar-powered traffic trailer, which will provide the agency with more information and data about traffic flows and motorists’ speeds in an area.
Chief Rick Bourassa explained during the July 10 board of police commissioners’ meeting that he and city manager Maryse Carmichael have been discussing traffic concerns because both organizations have received many complaints from people about specific locations throughout the community.
“We will be working with the city on identifying the locations that are getting the most complaints and then gather the data,” he said.
Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) funded the trailer, while the police service purchased the device because it wanted to identify locations where pedestrian corridors may be required or where it needs to focus more on monitoring speeds, the chief continued. However, the agency needs hard data before it can suggest changes to certain areas or make requests to provincial authorities.
SGI is prepared to fund further traffic safety enhancements if the police service can provide it with information.
“That, of course, is part of our community safety strategy as well because traffic safety is a critical part of community safety, and that’s where most people are at risk is driving on the roads,” Bourassa said, adding the agency had a similar trailer years ago, but it couldn’t provide data like this new one.
Anti-trespassing project
Sixty businesses have joined the police service’s Moose Jaw Trespass Prevention Program (MJTPP), although some participants are from outside the downtown trial area, said Sgt. Ryan Lawrence, the project lead. The agency plans to expand the program throughout the city because there has been a slowdown in the number of downtown businesses signing up.
The MJPS has created and distributed a poster about trespassing that gives homeowners and business owners information about how they can protect their properties, he continued. The agency made the document as simple as possible to understand while making as few changes as possible to what the law says about protecting property.
“It was received pretty well. What we’re going to do is send it again just as a reminder that we have this mechanism for the business community, but … homeowners already have this (protection) put in place without us having to have a special program … ,” Lawrence said.
The sergeant acknowledged that more labour and staff hours have gone into the MJTPP than originally expected, but that’s OK because officers have been able to meet with business owners and learn more about what’s happening there or in other locations.
“It’s information gathering as well as problem-solving, so it takes a little longer, but it’s good communication while we’re out there,” Lawrence added. “So yeah, it’s going well, and it will be interesting to see — once we open up to the city — how many of those (applications) start coming in."
