New Community Safety Action Plan approved by City Council

Lethbridge City Council is moving forward with a five-year plan to enhance community safety.

This new Community Safety Action Plan (CSAP) will take highlights from previous downtown initiatives like the Downtown Clean & Safe Strategy (DCSS) and the Downtown Lawlessness Reduction Task Force (DLRTF) to expand into a city-wide framework.

On Tuesday, Lethbridge City Council voted unanimously to adopt the CSAP, in principle, as a guiding framework to inform the coordination, implementation, and evaluation of community safety initiatives.

Also taking into account non-criminal and complex situations, such as housing instability, mental health, addiction, and social disorder. The city will utilize $600,000 allocated from past initiatives towards the new directive.

“During the next two years, the focus is on using existing funding to test, evaluate and refine initiatives so we can better understand what works locally. This approach allows us to build a strong evidence base before bringing forward any potential long-term service or funding considerations to City Council,” says Allison Sherry, the City’s Community Safety Specialist.

The CSAP will serve as the advisory body to provide input and recommendations to the city. It’s filled with representatives from police, fire and emergency services, business owners, and post-secondary institutions.

The City is also seeking out further community representation, and interested individuals can reach out at csd@lethbridge.ca

You can find out more details about the new CSPA here.