Stakeholder Engagement
In the fall of 2023, the Commission and Chief Lakusta held their first stakeholder engagement sessions. Input received during these sessions informed the development of the Commission’s first Strategic Plan as well as their Vision, Mission, and Values. Chief Lakusta also used input received to inform his plans in building up the police service. At their meeting, the Commission passed a motion to hold their next Stakeholder Engagement sessions, in collaboration with Chief Lakusta, during the week of June 9.
Northreach Society Presentation
The Commission was grateful to receive a presentation from Northreach Society on the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Vivian Thomson from Northreach provided information on the various services available to the community including: harm reduction supplies, STBBI testing, and 2SLGBTQ+ support. Vivian provided information on the historical timeline and circumstances that led to the gay rights movement. Statistically, individuals part of this community are at higher risk for suicide and overrepresented in the unhoused community. Suicide risk decreases by 93% when they have strong family support. Vivian provided several tips on how people can support diversity. Chief Lakusta expressed an interest in having recruits receive the full Gender and Sexual Diversity training offered by Northreach Society.
Grande Prairie Police Service Transition Update
Recruit Training Class (RTC) #1 graduated from their program on February 21, marking a historical milestone. Since graduation, the sworn officers have been completing the administrative tasks necessary for deployment into their RCMP detachment assignments and learning about various support agencies throughout the city. The first six officers began patrolling the week of March 16, and the remaining six officers commenced their roles with the Community Standards Unit. Three new experienced officers also graduated on February 21. One Sergeant and one Detective were deployed to the front lines to assist with RCT #1 field training, and one Constable joined the recruiting unit. RTC #2 will begin their training on March 31. Upon their graduation, the total number of sworn officers will be brought to 46. Experienced Officer Program (EOP) #4 will begin on May 26. The Alberta Police Cognitive Ability Test (APCAT) is a mandatory pre-employment written exam assessing candidates’ cognitive abilities in five key areas. Due to high failure rates, GPPS has begun offering in-person and virtual APCAT Test Prep Workshops. On February 28, GPPS took the Polar Plunge for Special Olympics Alberta and raised close to $6,000 to support the Summer Games taking place in Grande Prairie in July.