Fredericton advances its Community Safety Task Force

Fredericton City Hall is pictured. (Avery MacRae/CTV Atlantic)

The City of Fredericton announced it is advancing its Community Safety Task Force to enhance crime prevention and enforcement along with mobile outreach services for vulnerable residents.

“As Fredericton grows, so does our commitment to building a community where everyone feels safe, supported, and heard,” said councillor Eric Megarity, chair of the city’s standing committee on public safety.

“I am pleased to see council responding quickly and effectively to residents’ concerns by advancing key safety recommendations through investments in policing, improved trail lighting, public safety cameras, and other important initiatives.”

The mayor’s Community Safety Task Force brought 18 representatives from government, health care, residents, non-profit organizations and businesses to discuss community concerns surrounding safety.

The representatives focused on justice, policing, mental health, addictions and homelessness.

The committee then received a progress update on task force recommendations on Thursday with 47 immediate and long-term actions to address the city’s “most pressing social challenges,” a news release from the city reads.

The city says 12 of the recommendations are completed or in progress, including:

• creating a team to oversee task force recommendation implementation (complete)
• secure federal funding for security infrastructure (complete)
• create a 24/7 mobile outreach unit for vulnerable residents (complete)
• improve lighting on trails, transit stops and streets (in progress)
• add cameras at transit stops (in progress)
• increase police and security presence in business districts (in progress)
• develop a public safety camera strategy using residential/business footage (in progress)
• enhance Neighbourhood Watch programs (in progress)
• promote and provide support to business and residents to implement Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods (SCAN) program and Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles (CPTED) (in progress)
• leverage the Fredericton Police Force’s units to increase presence in high traffic areas (in progress)
• establish a dedicated unit for petty crime (in progress)
• research and develop a prolific offender strategy (in progress)

“We appreciate the commitment of our community partners, including Horizon Health and the provincial government to address root causes of harm caused by homelessness, mental health and substance abuse disorders,” said Steven Hart, the city’s chief administrative officer and chair of the task force’s oversight committee.

“Working together, the task force has identified real solutions to improve access to supportive, affordable housing and health services, which if delivered sufficiently, will directly and positively impact our residents and businesses.”

The city says on top of these recommendations, it is investing in community-based crime prevention, enforcement and public safety education.

Updates on the progress of the Community Safety Task Force recommendations will be available on a quarterly basis, and the next update is expected Oct. 2.

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