The Nelson Police Department will have an additional beat officer in the downtown core over the summer months. The request was made in the 2019 budget and city council were in favour of the idea.
Chief Paul Burkart explains the part time position will help ensure seven day a week coverage during the busy months.
“So what we asked for was just covering for those days that our beat officer isn’t downtown. We’re looking at providing a beat officer every day from the middle of June to the middle of September.”
It will also enable two beat officers to be downtown for times that are especially busy, for example the week after Shambhala.
60 per cent of criminal offences occur within a four block radius of the downtown core, Chief Burkart adds. He expects people will see the benefits having another officer and that community service groups have said it brings a certain calm to the downtown.
Constable Armstrong, who is a retired officer from Toronto and now fills in for the Nelson force, will take on the position.
The cost is roughly $31,000.