There will officially be more policing happening in Thompson with the beginning of the community safety officer (CSO) program, which started in Thompson on June 12.
During a presentation at City Hall, Mayor Dennis Fenske congratulated the eight CSO officers that recently competed training, and are now serving the community.
“It’s part of the bigger picture of the downtown strategy that we talked about for many years, modelling under the strategy of the Main Street project in Winnipeg. This is part of that, to deal with the situations and the issues in the downtown area.”
Fenske also noted that this pilot program with the province of Manitoba was started with the help of the previous council and former mayor Tim Johnston.
The new officers, dressed in grey uniforms with a red stripe on their black trousers, will have authority to enforce different legislation, like the Liquor and Gaming Control Act, the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act, the Child and Family Services Act, the Mental Health Act, and the Highway Traffic Act.
Thompson RCMP Insp. Will Tewnion congratulated the graduates and wished them luck in their careers. “The CSO program has now become a reality, and it’s going to be a huge benefit to the community.”
During the launch each officer received a diploma from Coun. Judy Kolada.
