Calls for service to the Community Safety Officer (CSO) program in Portage la Prairie are on the rise, reflecting growing community engagement and demand for support.
At the August 11 city council meeting, Caitlyn Saindon, manager of the CSO program, told council the office responded to 108 calls in the first quarter (Jan-Mar 2025), compared with 197 in the second (April-June 2025). She notes this demonstrates “a significant upward trend in activity and awareness.”
Saindon adds that the increases are most notable in bylaw and Animal Control Officer calls, with more incidents occurring later in the evening due to extended hours.
She also points to a rise in calls involving intoxicated persons, which she says has continued into the beginning of the third quarter.
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Saindon notes that the Community Safety Office has expanded its operational capacity with the addition of three new full-time officers and one new part-time officer.
With the staffing increase, the office now operates from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., covering both day and afternoon shifts to better serve the public and local businesses.
Equipment upgrades
Saindon remarks that while the CSO program still uses Unit 501, an SUV dedicated to patrol and transport, a new Unit 502 has been added for patrol duties and item transport.
She adds that a 2023 Ford F-150 has replaced the original tendered vehicle, making it easier to outfit with emergency equipment.
“Which is significantly easier to outfit and put all of the emergency equipment in that we need,” Saindon remarks.
She notes that until the emergency equipment is fully installed, the vehicle is being used primarily for patrol and transport.
RCMP partnership
Staff Sergeant Darcy Turko, with the Portage la Prairie RCMP, also presented at the August 11 meeting, reporting on the RCMP’s recent activity and collaboration with the CSO program.
Turko says overall calls for service in the city and RM totalled 3,517 for the quarter, down 156 from the same period last year, attributing part of the decline to the CSO program.
He notes that certain crime categories also show improvements.
“We were down persons crimes by about 34 this quarter. Our attempted theft of motor vehicles is down, and our break-ins are down as well,” he says.
The RCMP has also undertaken targeted enforcement efforts, including a shoplifting blitz that caught nine individuals in four hours, all of whom were repeat offenders currently before the justice system.
“We're actively doing search warrants as well for troubled houses," added Turko. "Anything to do with drugs, we're trying to do search warrants on them and our GIS guys, who are undercover units, are actively looking for people who have outstanding arrest warrants. Hopefully, we get a few more people off the streets that shouldn't be on the streets,” Turko adds.
Portage Mayor Sharilyn Knox praised the results, emphasizing the importance of layered policing and collaboration.
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