MORE POLICE NEEDED

Dear Editor:

Over the past few issues of your paper, a very serious concern has been
brought forward about the policing services for Leduc, the Nisku Industrial
Business Park, and surrounding areas of the county along with the Queen
Elizabeth II Highway.

With Nisku being one of the largest industrial parks in North America, this
park has movement in excess of 8,000 employees, plus the traffic from an
international airport.

Needless to say, the economic activity is very positive and excellent for
jobs, growth and an excellent tax base.

For policing services in the Leduc region, the City of Leduc taxpayers had
to start paying for their own services because of the population. With
Leduc County, the province pays for these services because of the rural
designation.

As a result, the county does not pay for policing services, other than a
three-man bylaw enforcement unit, which has a specific purpose. And for
that, they do a very good job, except they cannot do criminal code; it
should stay that way because of the varying standards of hiring and
training bylaw enforcement officers.

The point of concern is that with the huge economic activity and
responsibility for policing, the citizens of Leduc County and
municipalities within the County are not getting adequate police service,
because of lack of personnel and other severe problems not addressed.

On doing some research, the county through enhanced policing could help
this service by supplying an additional six men who would have the
authority to conduct investigations other than bylaw enforcement, i.e.
criminal code, plus commercial crime.

This cannot or should not be pawned off on the province as an excuse for
taking responsibility and being accountable for the safety and well-being
of the citizens. With this -- the non-responsive, and unaccountable,
overwork --the few that are available and then complain about lack of
service and blame someone else -- the province in this case.

With Nisku activity and with Epcor at Genesee, Leduc County council should
take on some initiative as there is funding.

Mind you, there can be another excuse for this if reality of leadership is
the world of Mother Goose, the Three Bears, and Peter Pan, and all that is
required is a pinch of pixie dust. Wait and see.

A second business in the county that needs to be accountable and responsive
is the Black Gold Regional school division.

The school division should be funding police personnel through the enhanced
policing because of the serious problems with crystal meth grow ops that
are prevalent in the region.

We need to be proactive, for our young people, to get their informed and
knowledge because of hard drugs, crystal meth and the criminal activity
that is connected to grow ops.

But here we go into reputed again, being accountable and responsible. The
mentality has to get past the mushroom syndrome, take the head out of the
manure and turn on the switch to see the light.

Don Mosicki

Warburg, Alta.