Policing Services Review underway – Islanders being asked for input

April 26, 2016

A major component of the province-wide policing services review is gathering input and opinions from Islanders. Over the next six weeks, some Islanders can expect to receive a phone call asking them to participate in a survey about policing services on Prince Edward Island.“This survey is an important component to the review that is being conducted and I encourage Islanders to be open and honest about their experiences with police services and opinions on how to make things better,” said Minister of Justice and Public Safety, Premier Wade MacLauchlan. “I appreciate Islanders taking the time to complete the survey, the information they provide will be invaluable to the results.”

The survey is being conducted by the Population Research Laboratory at the University of Alberta. It will focus on getting input and feedback on major policing services on Prince Edward Island, including municipal police services in Charlottetown, Kensington and Summerside, RCMP, First Nations, Confederation Bridge, and UPEI Campus Police.

Phone numbers will be randomly selected and surveys will be conducted by trained interviewers. Participation in the survey is voluntary. Those who agree to participate should be confident that their responses will be anonymous and will remain confidential. Individuals who are not contacted, or who do not have time to participate when called, can also participate by going to www.gov.pe.ca/policeservicesreview and completing the online survey available on that page.

This is the first province-wide review of police services in more than 40 years. The 1974 review was the Grosman Report on Policing in Prince Edward Island. Perivale and Taylor Consulting won the bid to complete the review, and are working with the Population Research Laboratory to complete the public survey. Perivale and Taylor has more than 20 years of consulting experience in policing reviews across Canada. The consultants are currently in Prince Edward Island to conduct a number of interviews with individuals and organizations to gather the necessary information to complete their review.

“This review is intended to provide recommendations with respect to crime prevention and policing strategies and recommendations regarding the most effective policing service model for Prince Edward Island, so it is very important to get opinions from Islanders and stakeholders,” said the Premier. “This information will help us understand trends and needs, and provide a basis for an informed decision making process.”

More information and a link to the online survey is available at www.gov.pe.ca/policeservicesreview.

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Media Contact: Maureen Flanagan-LeClair

NT5