Leduc RCMP presents new community safety plan

LEDUC -- A new RCMP community safety plan for the City of Leduc was presented at last night's council meeting.

The plan for 2026 includes new initiatives aimed at boosting public safety and was crafted in response to public and municipal concerns relating to an increase in social disorder within the downtown core and open spaces. Insp. Kiel Samotej, Detachment Commander with the Leduc RCMP, says some of these initiatives include increased drug enforcement, police visibility, and crime prevention efforts.

"Through surveys, townhalls, public engagement, analytical mapping, and one-on-one meetings with City Council, we've compiled all of our information to determine how we're going to address community concerns, and what we're going to do to take our police service to the next level," said Insp. Samotej. "Our mission is to preserve life and protect property; people should be able to use our open spaces in our community at ease and without fear." 

The community plan also sets out the need to ensure the right of business owners to run businesses without interference, to enhance service delivery through increased police visibility with a focus on upstream crime prevention, and to ensure individuals with complex needs receive appropriate services. Insp. Samotej notes that one of their initiatives also includes enhanced shifts for hot spots.

"We're bringing different members in at certain times to patrol certain areas," said Insp. Samotej. "We've been pulling some of the trail counts within the City of Leduc as well, to determine when the peak hours are out on the trails, so we can get police officers out there during those hours."

He also stressed the need for balance within the new community safety plan, stating that the approach must address the needs and dignity of individuals in the community while maintaining public safety, health, order, and safe and enjoyable parks and public spaces for all residents. Samotej also noted that regular interactions with local residents will be imperative to understand and address current concerns.

The first steps for the new plan will be to establish the Community Response Team while also completing a new environmental scan. In the next three months, Leduc RCMP will be working to adopt a tiered response and ladder approach, as well as improved relationships with community partners to ensure wrap-around services are being provided. 

Other initiatives for this year include the relaunch of the Nighthawks and the second edition of Project Streetlight.