Winners >Community Resources Unit

Honourable Mentions

Community Resources Unit
Lethbridge Regional Police Service

The Community Resources Unit in Lethbridge takes an all-encompassing approach to crime prevention and assisting youth already in conflict with the law. The unit is composed of six school resource officers, a community liaison officer, a cultural liaison officer and a Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) co-ordinator who together can meet virtually all of a youth's needs.

All of the members work together in their unique roles to deal with youth and crime outside of the formal court system. The school resource officers work to educate youth on problem-solving and conflict management through a variety of programs. An officer will work with a school administrator and a mental health professional as part of a threat assessment team. The team identifies threatening behaviour and finds the youth the necessary help.

The community liaison officer co-ordinates the student Crime-Stoppers program to help reinforce the idea that youth can take charge of their own environment and work to make it safe for everyone. The program is a partnership between students, the police, the public and the media.

It is the cultural liaison officer's role to promote awareness about cultural diversity issues and their relevance to policing. The officer is hoping to improve trust and communication between the communities and the police by encouraging all police officers to take into consideration cultural and linguistic differences when dealing with youth.

The FASD co-ordinator uses mentoring and education to bring about positive changes in the youth justice system. The co-ordinator works to divert youth with FASD from the court system and helps to raise awareness about the disability in the community.

The Community Resources Unit's wide-ranging approach protects both the rights of young people in conflict with the law as well as the safety and security of the citizens of Lethbridge.

Contact person:
Sergeant Jamie Fisher, Constables Nichole Fox, Rod Tilson, Mark Waage, Sheldon Twigg, Cam Van Roon Renee Scotland, Jim Olsen, Randy Ward and George Carscadden
(403) 327-2210