WESTLOCK — A small group of area residents came out to share their thoughts, concerns and ask questions during Westlock’s first ‘coffee with a cop’ June 20, at the Westlock Library.
The new outreach program, presented in partnership between the RCMP, Town of Westlock, Westlock County and Village of Clyde, will return to the Westlock Library on the third Thursday each month, from 10 – 11 a.m.
Joining Westlock RCMP Staff Sgt. Jeff Sehn and Sgt. Leigh Drinkwater Thursday, were business owners, citizens on patrol members, Town of Westlock mayor Jon Kramer, Village of Clyde mayor Charis Aguirre and Westlock County Reeve Christine Wiese, who discussed a variety of topics during the informal get-together including vehicle noise, concerns over thefts and break-ins at local businesses and questions about local law enforcement.
“There was a lot of positive feedback and for the first one, it was a pretty good turnout,” said Sehn. “The biggest concerns are prolific offenders and our justice system. I shared with them our priorities and how we’re targeting prolific offenders.”
The Coffee with a Cop program will continue with ‘pop-up’ events in Jarvie and Fawcett as well.
Westlock Mayor Jon Kramer said there was interest among the three municipalities and the RCMP for increased public engagement and the coffee with a cop initiative provided an opportunity for them to partner together.
“The goal behind this is providing an avenue for residents to ask those questions, have that interaction but it’s also increased visibility and dialogue,” said Kramer, noting the library was an ideal location for the program because of high traffic in and out of the building, which also acts as a hub for all three municipalities.
“I think this will be a good anchor for us, even as elected officials, just to have that check in with our RCMP on a regular basis,” said Kramer.
