To the editor:

So Lou Morissette is owner of Setting Security Consultants – is this for the Setting Lake area and the inhabitants? Because there isn’t a thing in his five-year plan presented to city council on Feb. 1 that’s worth a hill of beans.

I read and re-read his supposed recommendations. All I got out of it is strategy, strategy and more strategy, plus a lot of words mixed in and out of place throughout his sentences and paragraphs. I’ll try and decipher what I think he means in his recommendations.

Number one – a harm reduction zone and strategy for council to sit down and try to find this “zone.” You will have to get Coun. Judy Kolada on this one.

Number two – he recommends discussion for a bylaw enforcement strategy that is best suited for Thompson – please, please – what are you talking about? Bylaw for what? Sorry Judy, this one is for you again.

Number three – the recommendation involves RCMP current resource implementation and shifting plus suggests that a discussion needs to be initiated between the city and the RCMP relating to the feasibility of an RCMP 12-hour shift schedule pilot project. In a nutshell; manpower for 12- hour shifts.

Number four – municipal policing and rural policing. Morissette wrote to the effect that city officers should not help or be engaged in rural work under conditions or “mechanisms” defined under the agreements. For the information of the public, the rural RCMP is a separate entity consisting of a sergeant and five constables.

Number five – this recommendation looks at RCMP invoicing and processing and suggests that discussions should take place between the RCMP, City of Thompson and the city’s chief financial officer with the goal of providing a cost breakdown and explanation for adjustments. Folks, this is a lot of hot air. When I was a member of the detachment there was a process involved for officers to police the provinces. Governments of each province had to go through Ottawa for men and then paraphernalia that goes with it. In short, it’s quite simple. Police are for police work, not financial bickering.

Number six – this is a health approach strategy (there’s that word again) for the downtown which involves an inter-agency exchange of personal names and information of people that are being constantly arrested without mandated health care referral. Here’s another one for you Judy. Maybe I can help you on this one. Two cops stand together and notice their target and talk about him, then about his health. What to do? Put him in jail and then have a doctor examine him and if he’s fit, police are safe to arrest him again.

Number seven – to focus on a gang and youth strategy, suggesting that consideration should be given to supporting the RCMP working with youth. It is also about time the judges in the criminal system give out sterner sentences instead of running scared.

Number eight – and this is a beaut – an enhanced enforcement action plan, which would look at a reserved fund that could be used to supplement a “working watch” with the RCMP members on paid overtime. Interpretation: set up a fund for overtime pay.

Number nine – this refers to picking up intoxicated persons for police to transport street clients from Thompson to their home community in conjunction with Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) due to an overload in the RCMP cell blocks and also the Thompson Homeless Shelter. All of the foregoing is Morissette’s recommendations. Here’s a question – does this mean they drive the clients to Nelson House or elsewhere? And to Lou – the homeless shelter does not allow intoxicated persons to enter their premises.

The tenth and last recommendation is for a Thompson crime reduction team to be formed. This one needs no explanation or even a thought.

I could write a lot more on this subject, especially on the matter of lawyers and judges, but space is a premium. However, this contract assignment was given to Morissette on Sept. 1, 2009 and it took five months and $12,000. To my way of thinking, the city was shortchanged. For what is in the contract, I would say a month of investigation at the most and four months to put it on paper.

I also note that Morissette was quick to criticize the Prairie Bylaw Enforcement officers and the $456,000 contract, but does not mention the $3.5 million for the RCMP and his gravy cheque for $12,000.

Morissette points out that the realistic availability of the Thompson Rural members of the RCMP is approximately 51 per cent of the time with no member available 43 per cent of the time. I don’t know what he did, but to me the ratio is great. It tells me that 43 per cent of calls were not a priority. Such as – a kid threw a stone through a window; joyriding; dogs running loose; bicycle missing and on and on, trivial stuff.

Another issue he raises is “in order to gain more members the rural police will have to spend enough overtime to demonstrate to the province that it makes fiscal sense to buy another member.” Nonsense. As of now, the number of uniformed officers total is 48! Distribution consists of 31 for the city, six rural and eight others doing other duties. At this juncture I would say that if the courts, including judges, Crown prosecutors, etc., did their job as they should, we wouldn’t need so many officers.

Harold Kemp

Thompson