Regina has a new mayor, a new city council and a new year in which to lower crime.
“We’re positive about the crime statistics, but that doesn’t mean we can sit back and rest easy,” says Lorilee Davies, Regina’s Deputy Chief of Police.
New leaders of Saskatchewan’s capital are challenged with setting priorities to make the city safer.
“[The} city council is almost essentially new, and so we will be excited to hear from them what their priorities are,” says Davies. “And the same with our board of police commissioners. We’ve had a lot of turnover there,”
Davies believes community feedback is crucial in upholding Regina’s reputation as a safe city in the coming years.
“We can’t work in the city and police the city without the trust of our community, so we have to understand what the community needs and wants from us,” says Davies. “And we have to be adaptive to be able to be able to respond to that. So yeah, I would say hearing what the community wants is absolutely 100-per cent key to our success.”
Mayor Chad Bachynski echoed Davies’ sentiments that community input is key.
Dedicating resources to crimes of sexual violence and trafficking, police are also hoping to roll out a number of initiatives in 2025, ranging from a camera registry program to enhanced neighbourhood watches.
But Davies says these plans hinge on Regina police getting the resources they need.
Mayor Bachynski says police will get what they need, adding he’ll hold himself personally responsible for police effectiveness while in office.
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“Just to ensure that we’re supporting our community, supporting our police service, and really striving for a safer community for everybody,” Bachynski says. “I’m on the police commissioners board and I will be accountable for the results that come out of our police service, absolutely.”
Davies admits crime isn’t an issue unique to the capital, but says it’s encouraging to see Saskatchewan law enforcement unified in their approach to handling it.
“Nobody has it figured out 100 per cent what the magic answer is to stop crime,” says Davies, “But I think we are all working together. We are all committed to public and community safety and that we can’t do it alone.”
Despite new leadership and the challenges likely to come with it, Regina is optimistic it can maintain and enhance its crime reduction services in 2025.