Cops’ new unit hired through private sector
Fredericton Police Force community engagement unit will be private security officers under earlier contract, will be paid for with salary savings from vacant law-enforcement positions
The City of Fredericton will pay for a new community engagement unit with cash it saved through vacancies on its police force, and the retired officers hired will technically be private-sector employees.
The Fredericton Police Force (FPF) announced this week that a new community engagement unit (CEU) will be established by hiring retired members of the force to handle non-emergency policing functions.
The aim is to reduce the administrative demands on sworn, active-duty officers, it said.
“The CEU will consist of former FPF members who will handle non-critical tasks, such as taking statements for minor crimes, handling lost property and providing general public assistance,” the force said in a news release Tuesday.
But the initial announcement was silent on what the initiative would cost the city, how it would pay for it, how many employees will work in the unit and whether it would alter the total number of full policing positions on the force.