Bob Schneider/CHAT News

By Jesse Gill

PUBLIC SAFETY

Safe Street committee established in Bow Island

Jan 30, 2025 | 5:42 PM

The Town of Bow Island has formed the Safe Streets and Community Protection Committee to boost safety within the community.

The Bow Island RCMP detachment saw a 60 per cent or more increase in break and enters and motor vehicle theft in the first quarter of 2024, compared to 2023.

Kim Mitchell, a councilor with the town, is also a council rep with the committee, said community members have approached council over the years with questions about traffic safety and other improvements that can be made, also with issues including vandalism and crime.

“We just needed more eyes and ears on the ground to help us know what the community needs,” Mitchell said.

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“I thought that branching out to other community members, RCMP, our bylaw officer helps,” she added.

“We can just get the most information and make changes. We know what needs to be changed and make meaningful changes.”

Cpl. Adam George, the acting detachment commander with the Bow Island RCMP, said it’s always helpful to have people watching and calling them when they see things.

“In general Bow Island and the surrounding area is a safe community in my opinion,” George said.

“There’s always going to be some level of property crime and this is a way to help deal with that as well as other potential issues that community members see.”

Chantel Timmons, who lives just outside the town, is chairman of the committee, and a member at large.

She said that safety has a broad definition.

“We’re talking about street lighting and different things like that, so it doesn’t necessarily indicate that we’re just looking to keep suspicious people out,” Timmons said.

“General, overall safety in the community.”

Timmons said they have a focus on being proactive and preventative, and the collaboration aims to improve the quality of life and foster a safer community in Bow Island and area.

She adds they are looking to be that group that can provide information to people.

“An emergency is always 911, but the numbers they can call for non-emergency or for by-law or general things within the county and the town that people can make those calls, and we can put the information out,” Timmons said.

“Any of the new scams that are out there, there’s always emails and text scams, things like that. Just information, be informative, and try and help the community that way as well.”

Mitchell said they do see some criminal activity and suspicious people in the area but want to address rumours.

“It seems the first place people turn to is Facebook, and they post it on Facebook, and then it spreads like wildfire, and people don’t necessarily know the facts of what went on,” Mitchell said.

“We definitely want to focus on working with the RCMP and getting some factual information out to the residents.”

The Bow Island Safe Streets and Community Protection Committee Group has been started on Facebook to help relay information to the public.

The committee is also planning a town hall with RCMP in the spring to get more public discussion and input.