A new strategic plan is helping to guide policing in Morden over the next five years.
The Morden police board recently finalized the plan following an extensive process that included a community survey as well as consultations with various community stakeholders.
Police board chairperson Lee Bassett saw the process as playing a role in helping the Morden Police Service to be both proactive as well as reactive in the community.
“We can’t lose sight of the fact the police always need to be reactive. There are always going to be emergencies where they need to respond quickly and efficiently and effectively,” he said. “[But] there’s some exercises or roles that they can carry out to prevent crime.”
The planning process began with a public survey in February 2023 that was followed by community consultations late last year.
The community conversations were done in a roundtable format in which participants were asked what they felt were the biggest challenges in regards to public safety and what policing values they wanted to see from the local department.
“We need to understand what the community needs in order to develop our strategic plan,” said Bassett, who emphasized their aim was to gather a better understanding of the needs of the community.
They place a lot of importance on working collaboratively with the police in setting priorities and objectives.
“It really did take a lot of work, and it did take a lot of input from the community to put the plan together,” Bassett said.
The mission set out in the plan is to reduce crime and provide a safe environment through strategic policing and strong community partnerships. It outlines four key areas: keep our streets safe through education and enforcement, promote community policing and partnerships, enforce drug laws, and sustain our workforce.
Bassett said they feel they have a number of good things happening such as the Citizens on Patrol Program as well as the community resource officer who goes into schools and meets with students and staff.
“There was a resounding theme that we heard, and that was the need to promote community policing and partnerships. We did make that a priority,” she said. “One way that we’re doing that is by having a community resource officer, and that is Jeff Forster, who has been really instrumental in keeping the Morden Police Service in touch with our youth and also with working with other community organizations.”
Bassett noted they have also placed priority on ongoing monitoring of what is happening and being done.
“We are receiving some great feedback and starting to see some results,” she suggested. “One other thing we have done with this strategic plan is we’ve made sure to establish metrics that tell us how we’re doing and if we should be doing better and if we are on the right track.”
Bassett encouraged anyone who is interested to get involved even by participating in any of the regular meetings of the police board, with the next one set for June 20 at 3 p.m. at the Morden Civic Centre.
As well, the key points of the strategic plan can be found on the Morden Police Service website.
“Anyone can come to our meetings to see what we are doing and to have their voice heard,” she said. “The community has a say in what they need from our police service. Our chief is very receptive to the community’s comments, suggestions. We want to hear from people.
“It’s not just the police service’s responsibility. It’s all our responsibility to keep our community safe.”
