Police Review Learns Springhill Not Safe
More than one hundred people gathered at the Murray Centre in Springhill yesterday for a public meeting on police servicing in Cumberland County.
While the organiser tried to focus attention on what the future should be, many couldn’t help thinking back to the days when Springhill was a town and had its own police force.
People want police walking the streets, being visible. One man said problems began when the RCMP came in. An elderly woman said Springhill was a good town, but after 48 years she said, “I do not feel safe in this town,” a sentiment echoed by others.
When asked how long it should take police to respond to a call, the replies varied widely. One man said within an hour, while most thought a life or death call should be met within 10 minutes. Some recognized the response would vary depending on location, from a few minutes in a town like setting to several minutes in a more rural area.
There was a lot of talk about communication, about learning what is happening around the community. Many recalled the days when they attended town council meeting and received a detailed monthly report of the crime statistics in town. Some called on county council to provide that information, but earlier this year Mayor Murray Scott asked foe such details and the RCMP referred him to Statistics Canada.
The Springhill meeting was the second of five community events, with a public session set for Pugwash next Tuesday at the Thomas More Church Hall from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.
When the public information sessions are complete, consultants will prepare a detailed report for the Policing Review Committee which will make a recommendation to council by November, and Mayor Scott hopes council will make decisions for the future by January.
Mayor Murray Scott thanked people for their feedback as Cumberland seeks community input at a public meeting in Springhill. At right is Margaret Brigley, CEO of Narrative Research, the consulting firm conducting the community research as part of the county's review of policing services.
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