(Submitted photo/ RCMP)

By Nicole Reis

NEW COMMUNITY POLICE OFFICER

Meadow Lake RCMP welcomes newest CPO to local detachment

Jun 16, 2020 | 1:51 PM

Meadow Lake RCMP has welcomed its newest officer to the community and the latest addition of a Community Police Officer (CPO) to the local detachment. Within the last six years, the regional CPO role is a recent addition to existing duties performed by Saskatchewan RCMP.

CPO, Maryah Walker, has come to the community from La Loche where she worked in a similar role focusing on school based presentations and education surrounding internet safety, anti-bullying, the aboriginal shield program and evidence-based programs that are trauma-informed and culturally safe. Now based out of Meadow Lake, she will be a resource for the northwest region and surrounding detachment areas.

“My job isn’t to come into a community and say you need A, B and C,” she told meadowlakeNOW. “It’s a lot of consultation with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council, Waterhen Lake First Nation, and meeting with the City of Meadow Lake and consulting with the boots on the ground and people who are working in the community.”

CPO’s are responsible for working within communities to develop crime-prevention and crime-reduction initiatives. Upon community consultations with local leadership and community based program organizers, CPO’s work together in finding programs that are community-led and police-assisted which include crime prevention, crime reduction initiatives, education and awareness in communities and helping to bridge the gap between detachments and communities.

While local officers will continue to prioritize calls for service and keeping the community safe, Walker’s role will entail working directly in communities and working in schools. Her duties will include determining community needs in crime prevention, crime reduction initiatives and discussing ways to bridge gaps between police and the community. Walker determines how to support the current community-based initiatives and bring her expertise with presentations and education.

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“Having a position like a CPO allows for the other aspects of community policing needs to be met in a community,” she said. “The nice piece about a CPO is that I’m still going to bring a member with me when I do school events but the liaising work between the school and the community, the organizing and building of the presentations allows for the member to come in and spend 45-55 minutes efficiently.”

While the CPO role came to the province nearly six years ago, Walker was one of the first hired in the province within F Division in Regina and started off as a victim services coordinator. She then transitioned into a role which allowed her to do further crime prevention and crime reduction work.

“I am new to Meadow Lake and I have a lot to learn what [the city] offers and what policing looks like here is going to be vastly different than any other community,” she said. “They’re all unique but essentially I’ll be the conduit when members start to cycle out, you’ll have a position that’s there.”

Walker says she particularly appreciates interacting with community members and is comfortable discussing a range of topics including sexual assault awareness and will bring forward her strengths in community policing initiatives directly to the public.

“I’m hoping to bring my ability to build relationships and connect with the community and overall, just try to bring a better sense of education and awareness of things that aren’t always talked about,” she said.

Walker will have the opportunity to perform crime prevention and crime reduction initiatives in the community and listen to what the community wants to see and support existing community programs.

“I think it’s going to ebb and flow over time in what the community needs but ultimately, [I’m looking forward to] just getting out there, getting involved and continuing to do great work and support the work that the members are doing here,” she said.

CPO’s operate in La Loche Meadow Lake, Onion Lake, Regina and another is slated to operate in the Prince Albert area.

Walker began her CPO role at the Meadow Lake detachment in May.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722