Police force sets up new unit; mum on cost
Community engagement unit will consist of former officers, address non-emergency duties
The Fredericton Police Force (FPF) is expanding its ranks with a new unit aimed at taking over non-emergency and administrative work from officers, but it’s not saying how much it will cost.
The police force announced the creation of a new community engagement unit (CEU), which, it said in a news release, will “enhance community relations and improve service efficiency.”
The purpose of the new unit is to mitigate the heavier workload on police officers by handling non-emergency policing tasks, 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 release said.
“This will allow officers to focus on urgent and high-priority calls. Importantly, CEU members will not engage in patrol responses involving risk.”
The unit will be run as a pilot program for six months and be evaluated at the end of that period.
The release said the initiative is being funded as part of the City of Fredericton’s effort to bolster community safety, but it didn’t indicate how much the new unit would cost or from where it’s deriving the funding.
The Fredericton Independent inquired Tuesday with the police force and city hall about the costs, how much the members of the unit would be paid, how many people would be hired to serve as part of the unit and when it would begin operations.
No response was provided.
“It is important for maintaining community trust, ensuring efficient use of police resources and will allow for more proactive community policing,” Insp. David Cooper, a member of the force’s management team, said in the news release.
The police union has signed off on the new unit as well, the release said, but it noted the initiative is meant to be a temporary one.
“The union executive was consulted throughout the process of adopting the community engagement unit,” police union president Chris Furlotte said in the release.
“We fully support FPF management’s decision to engage this temporary solution and will monitor the impact as it relates to our members.”
Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.