City Hall’s council and committee meetings Monday night included updates from Caitlin Saindon, manager of the Community Safety Office (CSO), who outlined staffing changes and rising service demands.
Staffing and vehicle upgrades
Saindon confirms the CSO team began 2024 with four officers but lost one member, Seth Bryson, who pursued “different opportunities.” Recruitment efforts aim to fill his role immediately, with plans to expand the team to seven officers pending council approval.
“We are currently still operating with one CSO vehicle with the idea that we’ve issued a tender for a secondary unit to get a 4x4 truck,” she says.
The new vehicle would improve biohazard transportation and patrol capabilities in challenging terrain.
Call volumes and patrol impact
Service calls surged in early 2024, with 108 requests between January and March—far exceeding last year’s 67 total calls. Trespassing, theft, and suspicious activity reports dominate the caseload.
“The CSOs are continuing to patrol significantly down foot patrol and vehicle patrol in Saskatchewan Avenue, but they have branched out to all other portions of Portage,” Saindon adds. Officers prioritize high-concern areas while maintaining public visibility, earning positive community feedback.
“Everything has seemed to go very, very well, and it seems… the public does see these officers as beneficial to the community.”
Collaboration and community feedback
Brad Bailey, the city’s public safety director, credits CSO visibility with supporting RCMP efforts. “Their presence… helps deter any people with not the best intentions,” he notes.
RCMP partnership and future outlook
Councillor Colin Doyle, chair of public safety, links declining RCMP call volumes to CSO support.
“Some of those calls are being diverted away from the RCMP, which is a good thing because they can spend their resources on more serious crimes,” he says.
Doyle highlights growing partnerships between CSOs and RCMP.
“When I’ve met with the CSO program, they have just said the nicest things about working with the RCMP. And then I meet with the RCMP, and they appreciate so much the fact that we have CSOs in Portage.”