STUDENTS CONTRIBUTE TO POLICING NEEDS EVENING

Drugs, vandalism, traffic enforcement, and police visibility--these
are the four target areas that have been identified as policing
priorities for the Steinbach RCMP.

And Thursday night at the Legion Hall, there was an RCMP-community
forum held on what types of strategies are needed to improve how these
issues are dealt with.

The third meeting of its kind, this time around young women from
Steinbach Regional Secondary School (student council representatives)
were invited to participate.

Their presence was appreciated by the rest of the participants; the
students offered their ideas and suggestions on what type of policing
they felt their peers would like, in all of the four categories.

"I don't think students need more adults acting as mentors; youth need
to be mentoring youth," one student suggested during a discussion
about dealing with the community's drug problem.

Evening facilitator Al O'Donnell said that was a good idea, saying the
Addictions Foundation of Manitoba (AFM) has a program which helps find
out why students use drugs in the first place. A local public health
nurse was quick to note that the substance abuse problem in the area
knows no age discrimination.

"Don't fool yourself, this is not just a young persons' problem," she
emphasized, adding she has worked with many drug-abusing parents in
the Southeast.

In a similar vein, Traffic Services Cst. Gord Kowalchuk commended the
youth at the meeting for their good awareness of safety issues.

"There are far more young people wearing their seatbelts than people
my age...we are not gunning for you, we treat every motorist the same."

As for police visibility, student Laura Nguyen said that the mock
disaster event, an anti-drinking and driving display organized by
Manitoba Public Insurance and local emergency crews usually generates
a reaction among the students.

"Something like that gets people talking," she pointed out.

An engaging discussion also occurred about the accident-prone,
dangerous intersection of Highway 12 and Park Road.

"So many drivers have no idea how to execute a proper turn there,"
said Cst. Kowalchuk.

Staff-Sgt. John Olbort told the evening's participants--about 30
people including most of city council-- that all of the suggestions
thrown out were possible.

The Steinbach RCMP has already began to implement some of the requests
brought up during the previous two policing evenings held (several
months ago). Among them are a regular foot patrol in the city's
downtown business area.

Mayor Les Magnusson said those efforts haven't gone unnoticed.

"(The foot patrols) make the public feel more secure. Businesses like
it, too--often, it's a perception thing," he commented.

While the staff-sergeant said the implementing the suggestions was
feasible, he emphasized community involvement is also vital to their
crime-solving efforts. "Vigilant neighbors are usually our best
evidence," said Olbort.

City councillor Art Rempel agreed.

"I think the work has to be shared...this has to be a team effort."

As did the mayor.

"It's our responsibility to our neighbor-- the police can't do it all."