Headingley Detachment

Contact Information:
156 McIntosh Road
Headingley, MB
R4H 1G1
Ph: (204) 888-0358
Fax: (204) 831-7898

Location:
Headingley Detachment is responsible for providing policing services in five RMs located along the south and west sides of the City of Winnipeg and covering approximately 5 374 km2 (2,075 square miles). In addition to small communities such as La Salle, Oak Bluff, Sanford, Elie, Headingley, St. Francois-Xavier, Starbuck, and St. Eustache, the area hosts numerous residential subdivisions.

Local Population:
Approximately 15,000 people.

RCMP Detachment:
The detachment consists of nine regular members and one full-time and two part-time support staff, located as follows: one sergeant, one corporal, seven constables, and three Public Service Employees.

COMMUNITY-BASED PROBLEM SOLVING:
Often, there are groups already in place to deal with ongoing concerns or community projects. The following details what community challenges are addressed by the members of the RCMP in partnership with their community. The major working groups include:

Child and Family Services (CFS) of Central Manitoba: Headingley Detachment falls partially within the Portage la Prairie and Carman CFS areas. Matters of mutual concern such as child abuse are dealt with effectively through use of an established protocol. By working in concert with one another investigators and childcare workers are better able to address client needs and to satisfy the requirements of the criminal justice system.

RESTORATIVE JUSTICE PRACTICES:
Nationwide, members of the RCMP are involved in restorative justice processes, whether it is volunteering as facilitators or sitting on steering committees. Each community may embrace a different form of restorative justice, be it community justice forums, circle sentencing or mediation.

Community Justice Forums (CJF): Members are trained as CJF facilitators. CJFs have been used with positive outcomes. Reeves have been encouraged to provide names of people who they believe could function effectively as CJF facilitators. The hope is to generate partnerships with the municipalities, to encourage community ownership and enhance community involvement in this process.

CRIME PREVENTION:
Members of the RCMP are involved with a number of programs designed to prevent crime in our communities through both indirect and direct intervention. From school talks to youth initiatives to community safety plans, the goal of crime prevention programs is to target the roots of potential criminal and social problems. Members of the RCMP are involved in the following initiatives:

Rural Crime Watch: With the vast majority of our population living on acreages and farms, the Rural Crime Watch is an invaluable tool to the members and citizens of the Rural Unit. We have established nine Rural Crime Watch Groups within our area, with a membership in excess of 1600. Annual meetings are held and monthly contact is maintained with each of the Group Captains through the internet, phone and personal visits.

Drug Education, Prevention and Enforcement: We have two trained Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) instructors in our detachment. The instructors deliver a 10 week program to grade six students focussed on skills to cope with drugs and violence. Presentations are also delivered to the local high schools on the dangers of crystal meth and a police presence is established with a school liaison program to deter the presence of drugs in the schools.

Auxiliary Constable Program: This unit has five auxiliary constables. The communities we serve benefit directly through the dedication of, and assistance from our auxiliary constables. Service delivery has been enhanced appreciably as a result of their contributions.

Headingley Motorist Alerts: Besides providing local media with immediate notification of road closures and subsequent openings, the detachment also advises them of motor vehicle collisions on major thoroughfares in and around the City of Winnipeg as they occur. This information, which is passed on to traveling public, helps to reduce congestion and improve traffic safety.

Seniors & Frauds: Members provide presentations on telemarketing and other frauds to senior citizens at local retirement homes.

POLICE-COMMUNITY RELATIONS:
Without a solid base upon which to work, the police cannot hope to build the necessary partnerships with the community to prevent crime and to solve community problems. Members of the RCMP strive daily to build those bridges by appreciating the needs of the communities in which they work and live. Their commitment to the community goes beyond simple participation as residents, but also as active members of the community. Members of the RCMP are involved in the following initiatives:

School Liaisons: Members are assigned to each of the schools in the policing area. These members liaise with the school assigned and are responsible for delivery of programs and presentations. In addition, members of the Headingley Traffic Services Unit also attend schools to give talks on road safety and impaired driving.

Additional Community Involvement: Through the White Horse Plains Christmas Hamper Fund, detachment members, with the assistance of local businesses, schools and government agencies, annually assemble hampers for needy families in the detachment area.

Members participate in activities as varied as: attending workshops, lecturing, promoting restorative justice initiatives, delivering French language presentations on Drug Awareness and other topics to bilingual schools.

QUALITY SERVICE THROUGH STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS:
The community also benefits directly and indirectly from strategic partnerships that the RCMP forms with other law enforcement and governmental agencies as well as with other community groups. Several unique associations have been formed:

• R.M.s of MacDonald, Rosser, Cartier, Headingley and St. Francois Xavier
• Headingley Chamber of Commerce
• MB Department of Highways and Transportation
• MB Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
• MB Corrections - Headingley Correctional Institute (HCI)
• Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI)
• Firefighters
• Hutterite Colonies
• Local Schools
• Manitoba Liquor Commission
• Headliner Newspaper