First RCMP branch of this type in the country
The Alberta RCMP is pleased to announce the launch of the Community Safety and Well-being Branch. The new branch is designed to reduce crime and proactively address the root causes of crime and victimization, by integrating police with community partners, and enhancing engagement with all Albertans. This is the first province-wide branch of its type in the RCMP.
Created with feedback from Albertans, the new branch involves a restructuring of the Alberta RCMP, with the intention of improving the overall safety and wellness of communities across the province. While there will be no additional cost, more resources will be focused on community engagement and outreach.
"We know the policing needs of Albertans are changing and policing services must respond and evolve to an ever-changing society with needs that go beyond simple help from a frontline officer," said Deputy Commissioner Curtis Zablocki, Commanding Officer of the Alberta RCMP. "We will be placing an enhanced and more coordinated approach to community wellness in guiding our work by integrating our operations and outreach and leveraging our partnerships with health care professionals, social agencies and other law enforcement agencies.
The Community Safety and Well-being Branch operates under the four pillars of:
- Crime Reduction;
- Community Outreach;
- Analytics, and Intelligence; and
- Social Engagement.
"Our goal is not only crime reduction, but to actually break the cycle of criminality in order to prevent further harm to Albertans," said Chief Superintendent Peter Tewfik, Officer-in-Charge of the Community Safety and Well-being Branch. "The branch will work directly with victims, offenders, and communities impacted by crime."
While there are many units and initiatives that are now integrated within this branch, the Data 2 Action (D2A) and Regional Police and Crisis Teams (RPACT) are two examples of initiatives that illustrate our focus on crime reduction and community outreach.
Data 2 Action
D2A is a performance management framework that turns data and intelligence into actionable tasks aimed at reducing crime. Designed to enhance community safety, the initiative brings together Alberta RCMP support services, provincial and federal government agencies, law enforcement partners, and local community organizations to address areas in the province with the highest rates of property and violent crimes. Focusing on joint data and intelligence, D2A determines which people, places, and crime types are impacting Alberta's most vulnerable communities. Since its implementation, 17 detachments across the province have been supported by the D2A program.
Regional Police and Crisis Teams
RPACT is a collaboration between the Alberta RCMP and Alberta Health Services in which officers and mental health professionals work together in responding to mental health calls for service. Police are frequently the primary frontline response to mental health crises. Responding to these calls with mental health professionals provides clinical expertise that benefits the individual in crisis and connects them to the appropriate resources for follow-up mental health treatment. The new Community Safety and Well-being Branch will expand this great partnership with Alberta Health Services and municipalities across the province.
By integrating the work of Alberta RCMP units and partner organizations with unique skill sets, the Community Safety and Well-being Branch will improve our service delivery across all communities within our jurisdiction. Overall, the new branch and its partner organizations will provide Alberta communities with the resources and supports necessary to address social issues before they become criminal issues.