LAC LA BICHE – Residents can expect to see a stronger Protective Services presence in downtown Lac La Biche as the County changes its enforcement operations in response to ongoing concerns in the area.

Lac La Biche County Protective Services provided Council with an operational update during the Aug. 18 regular council meeting, with discussion focusing on the downtown core, homelessness and other areas where concerns have been identified.

The County’s Protective Services chief said changes have already been made to how officers are being deployed.

“There will be a noticeable change with respect to presence downtown, for example, from our officers,” he told Council.

The department is also looking at additional staffing and increased use of existing enforcement tools, including drones and downtown surveillance cameras.

County says concerns aren’t being ignored

Mayor Paul Reutov said he wanted the public to know the issues receiving attention in the community aren’t going unattended.

He said administration, Protective Services and senior leadership continue to meet and work on options to improve conditions.

“There’s lots of work being done behind the scenes,” Reutov said, acknowledging conditions aren’t where the County would like them to be.

The chief said Protective Services meets weekly to discuss enforcement issues and had met again that morning to address operations.

“Our team is doing a very, very good job. Can we do better? We always can do better,” he said.

He told Council the department understands the priority being placed on the issue and is continuing to look for different approaches to enforcement.

The Aug. 18 presentation was also part of an effort to provide Council with more regular information on Protective Services operations. Administration indicated it is working toward quarterly reports providing operational snapshots and updates from the department.

As additional policies and options are developed, they are expected to come back before Council for consideration.