Swan River Detachment

Contact Information:
105-10th Street
Swan River, MB
R0L 1Z0
Ph: (204) 734-4686
Fax: (204) 734-5626

Location:
Swan River is located in the west-central area of Manitoba, approximately five and a half hours north of Winnipeg. The town operates as a service centre for a radius of 200 kilometres, which includes a large portion of east-central Saskatchewan.

Local Population:
Swan River and the surrounding area have a population of approximately 13,000 people.

RCMP Detachment:
The detachment consists of a staff sergeant, a sergeant NCO in charge of operations, three operational units (each supervised by a corporal) and three clerical employees.

COMMUNITY-BASED PROBLEM SOLVING:

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

Swan Valley Interagency Committee: The ministers of Education and Training, Family Services, Health, and Justice have mandated the interdepartmental service protocol for increased service coordination at the local level for children with severe emotional and/or behavioral disorders. Each of the departments has specific responsibilities for facilitating the delivery of a continuum of services in context of specific mandates. This protocol formalizes a shared interdepartmental/multi-system case management approach to enhance good practice and to maximize the effective use of available resources to address the service needs for this high-risk population.

Swan River Child Abuse Committee: The Swan River Child Abuse Committee includes the following membership: Child and Family Services, RCMP, a medical practitioner, School Division #35, and Mental Health. The responsibilities of this committee are to bring forward any information about abuse cases, openly share the information with all committee members, and adhere to the confidentiality provisions of the Child & Family Services. The committee also reviews the involvement of police, medical and hospital professionals, and others involved in the investigation and management of the case.

Swan Valley Vulnerable Person's Safety Network: The Swan Valley Vulnerable Person’s Safety Network believes that solutions regarding safety-related problems in this community are best answered by a wide range of interested community members. Membership consists of Child & Family Services, Probation Services, Crown Attorney, Defense Council, Aboriginal, Mental Health, families living with a disabled person, disabled people, individual citizens, and the RCMP. The goal of the Swan Valley Vulnerable Person’s Safety Network committee is to create community understanding and capacity for supporting our community and its individuals who have intellectual disabilities.

Other working groups include:

• Prevention and Treatment of Sexual Abuse
• School Violence Risk Assessment Team

RESTORATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE JUSTICE:

Nationwide, members of the RCMP are involved in alternative justice processes, whether 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 Forum: The detachment has adopted the community justice forum as a means of dealing with low-risk offenders. Policy has been developed, and one member acts as a coordinator for the process. Three members of the detachment and two volunteers from the community have been trained as facilitators.

Youth Justice Committee: A probation officer and a member from the detachment serve on the committee in a resource capacity. The committee deals with young offenders between the ages of 12 and 18 who are referred to them by police, community, and Corrections. Most of the youth are first-time offenders. The young person, along with a parent, is brought to the committee to face the victim and take responsibility for his or her actions. The committee then provides a resolution.

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 and 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:

Citizens On Patrol Program (COP): The Swan River COP has been very effective in reducing incidents of theft and vandalism in the town of Swan River. Membership consists of approximately 20 volunteers from the immediate area who actively patrol the streets of Swan River and watch for crime and suspicious activity. They are considered to be the eyes and ears of the police.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education Program (DARE): DARE is a 17-week program for students in Grade 5 and Grade 6. The detachment presently has two members trained to present the program.

Rural Crime Watch: A rural crime watch program is in effect for the rural farm area. In this program, citizens watch over their designated area and report to their area captains any suspicious activities. Approximately 160 volunteers are part of the Rural Crime Watch program around Swan River.

Other Crime Prevention Programs include:

• In-School Programs
• School Liaison
• Kidz Printz
• Safe Grad
• Seniors Programs
• Bike Rodeo

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 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:

• Red Serge Duty
• Detachment Tours
• RCMP Golf Tournament

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 as with other community groups. Several unique associations have been formed:

• Victim Services Program
• First Nations Policing
• Mayors of Towns & Villages
• Partners in Law Enforcement
• Swan River Friendship Centre