Officers from the Southeast District RCMP hosted an open house event at the Tim Horton’s on Main Street in Sackville on Friday. About 30 people dropped in to meet with the officers during the two hour event Friday morning. Among them were Tantramar councillor Mike Tower, Mayor Andrew Black, Dorchester fire chief Greg Partridge, and Ambulance NB operations manager Mark Hicks.
Sergeant Martin Janson is a supervisor for the Southeast District, and organized the event as part of a series of ‘Coffee with a Cop’ events throughout the region, in turn part of a larger trend of similar events happening across North America.
Janson was joined by Sackville’s community police officer Melanie Belliveau, as well as Sackville detachment Sergeant Eric Hanson, who took a moment near the end of the session to speak with CHMA.
Hanson said the event was “a great opportunity for us to connect with members of the community in a friendly setting where people can ask us questions, interact with us.” Hanson said the officers heard questions about the job, and also heard concerns about “traffic and behaviour and things that are going on in their community.”
“One lady came up to report that she needed our help this afternoon,” said Hanson, “so we’re going to go help her out disposing of some ammunition at her house.”
Hanson says he could foresee the event happening again, based on the turnout on Friday and the positive feedback the force has received so far. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for people to put a face to the name and to be able to meet some of the members of the Sackville RCMP,” said Hanson.
Hanson said he has heard from some people in the area who are concerned with crime, especially considering recent violent incidents such as the three murders that took place in the region since 2021. But the sergeant says he doesn’t feel crime is on the rise.
“I’ve worked in and out of this community for several years now,” said Hanson, “and I don’t think things are any worse than they ever were. Crime, unfortunately, will always exist, and we’re doing the best we can to keep it at a minimum.”
“People should feel safe,” said Hanson. “This is a wonderful community, where those rare, tragic incidents that occur are not the normal.”
Hanson said he encourages members of the public to keep police informed about any concerns. “They are the eyes and ears of what’s going on in the community,” said Hanson. “And we need their help to report crimes to us, to provide us information that can help us combat some of these issues that they’re concerned about.”
Councillor Mike Tower says he asked officers about how an increased complement of officers for Tantramar, which council approved in November, might affect things in the region. The increase is not likely to happen any time soon, because of existing vacancies in the RCMP.
Hear Councillor Mike Tower and Mayor Andrew Black at ‘Coffee with a Cop’:
Tantramar council approved a 14 member RCMP complement for the new municipality of Tantramar during their budget deliberations in November, despite a recommendation from the RCMP for a 13 member complement. The move could cost the town an extra $170,000 each year once the RCMP is able to hire for all positions.
When Tantramar council voted to add the additional position in November of last year, the existing Sackville complement had just 8.5 out of ten positions filled.
