Province permits District of Carleton North and Hartland to develop a detailed plan for a new policing structure to cover the two communities.
Concern with the lack of police visibility and accountability within the existing policing framework amid rising crime rates has been at the forefront of many Carleton North and Hartland residents’ minds for quite some time.
In January, the communities formed a Policing Model committee tasked with investigating the feasibility of a municipal police force covering the two currently under-served areas.
At the Sept. 12 District of Carleton North Council meeting, Mayor Andrew Harvey shared that the province approved its initial proposals, giving the Town of Hartland and the District of Carleton North permission to take the next step towards their municipal policing model.
Harvey told the River Valley Sun that the next step is to develop their final plan, which will be submitted to the province for final approval.
He explained the plan will include budgets, comparative and impact analysis, and public engagement.
“We hope to have the final plan done for mid-fall, by early November,” said Harvey.
Once completed, the committee will submit the plan to the councils and the province for final approval.
Harvey said he expects it will take the Province roughly a month to make their final decision.
If approved, the municipal police force will consist of approximately 18 officers, which will be shared between two detachments.
The primary detachment will be located in Florenceville-Bristol, with a smaller secondary one set up in the Town Office of Hartland.
The proposed force would provide 24-hour coverage.
Harvey noted that shared detachments are not unusual in the province.
“Kennebecasis has a very similar setup to this,” he said. “They have one force that covers both Rothesay and Quispamsis.”
Harvey said the committee’s target date for establishing the new force is Jan. 1, 2025.
He explained that the municipalities are required to give 12 months’ notice to the current service provider, which is the RCMP.
“We’ll also need that time for procurement of equipment, to set up the detachments, as well as hire staff and officers,” said Harvey.
