Councillors upset over OCP meeting
PRINCE GEORGE – The most recent public hearing over the proposed Official Community Plan has a couple of City Councillors upset because there were a pair of plain-clothed RCMP officers in the public gallery.
In a statement, the City maintains: “The City has a legal responsibility to ensure a safe environment for employees and members of the public attending City events. There have been previous instances of RCMP officers at events where a large attendance is expected, including last year at the May 28 Public Safety Town Hall, due to concerns raised about issues experienced at similar events in other communities. After the first Official Community Plan public hearing, staff raised concerns about safety, and the City inquired with the RCMP about the support that could be offered for the second public hearing date. This decision was made in the interest of ensuring the safety and security of all attendees. The RCMP officers were attending as a precautionary measure, not a response to a specific threat. It was intended to be a responsible measure to maintain a safe environment for everyone, while preserving the open and welcoming atmosphere that public hearings are meant to foster. It’s important to note that varying levels of security are always present at Council meetings and other City events, depending on the number of people in attendance and the nature of the meeting.”
But Councillor Trudy Klassen still has reservations, saying the Mayor and Council should have been notified.
“Well, first off, Mayor and Council weren’t informed that that would be happening. The other concern is that there were that they were plain-clothed police officers. And I mean, staff safety is incredibly important to us all. And so there was the question, if there was a threat, why weren’t we informed. It didn’t appear that all staff were informed. But then now, like the press release says that, ‘Well, you know, sort of it’s not a big deal.’ There are various levels of security at every public event, but I don’t believe there were any police officers at the first public hearing. And I can’t imagine what could have possibly happened at the first public hearing to justify this. And then, of course, the concern around them being, like I said, plainclothes police officers. But that’s just discomforting.”
