A new project has been launched by the Ridge Meadows RCMP to reduce crime and increase safety in the Maple Ridge downtown core.
Project C.O.R.E is a three-month pilot initiative that will enhance visibility, facilitate outreach and support services and assist with enforcement.
C.O.R.E. – Community policing; Outreach; Response; and Enforcement – will be intelligence based, according to the RCMP.
Information from the program will be shared with the City of Maple Ridge Community Social Safety Initiative program to address ongoing community issues.
“Our community spoke up and, as with any new initiative, there needs to be a balance between resourcing and goal achievement, said Insp. Wendy Mehat with the Ridge Meadows detachment.
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“But ultimately this project is about enhancing how we connect services in our community with those who need help while simultaneously providing effective enforcement of police authorities,” she added.
Throughout last year the Ridge Meadows RCMP created a strategic planning initiative and came up with five pillars of focus for the organization through community consultation.
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Those pillars are: communication and education; crime reduction and education; diversity and inclusion; partnerships and collaboration; and organizational excellence.
Project C.O.R.E. supports the second and fourth pillar of the strategic plan.
At the end of the three month pilot period, the project will be reviewed to create future strategies on how best to focus police resources in the community.
cflanagan@mapleridgenews.com
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