“People see [officers] and they’re able to interact with them and provide information, it goes a long way in deterring crime rather than simply responding to it from our office.”
Bar checks have also increased. There’s also the odd assault and consensual fight. “A lot of the stuff we deal with is on the weekends ... our clientele isn’t necessarily the people that live in Jasper.”
This is also why it’s difficult to catch those who create mischief. Gardiner prefers a higher clearance rate in those cases, but it’s difficult to catch someone when they leave town the next day.
Over the holidays, a few impaired drivers were caught and there were also numerous seizures of people possessing user-amounts of marijuana.
In the last quarter there were also two “significant drug seizures on the highway.” One warranted almost 80 pounds of marijuana. “Highway 16 is a major corridor for drug trafficking in Western Canada,” said Gardiner.
He also reported numerous complaints about highway drivers, but since the traffic unit downsized, the perpetrator isn’t always caught. “We do our best, but it’s a hit or miss thing.”
Councillors praised Gardiner for the officers’ “fantastic” coverage on New Year’s Eve and their presence in town.
Service and structural review
In relation to the service and structural review, “we’re at the beginning of the end of the information gathering,” said CAO Peter Waterworth.
He’s looking to meet with council soon and have their input. “We’re looking at 67 ideas for service review, which we’ll crunch down into a smaller, more practical number.”
Next step is analysis and drafting a report, which will happen in February. The 2013 interim operating budget was adopted in order to accommodate this service and structural review.
Bylaws
Council unanimously voted (with the exception of Dwain Wacko, who was absent) to pass the first readings of bylaw 164 (authorizing supplementary assessments to be prepared for the purpose of imposing a tax in the same year), 165 (supplementary tax imposition), 167 (defining responsibility and authority and specific duties of the CAO) and 166 (council and committee regulations and procedures).
The second reading of bylaw 163 (levying and collection of fees for water, sewer, solid waste and recycling) was unanimously postponed in order to obtain more information before making a decision.
Family Literacy Day Jan. 27
Council unanimously voted to declare Sunday, Jan. 27, Family Literacy Day. Several community events and activities will happen throughout town.
