The Saint John Police Force is seeking input from the public on a new strategic plan.
Sgt. Matthew Weir said the document is an essential planning tool for the organization.
“It helps us prioritize our goals, effectively allocate resources, and stay focused on whatever matters most to the community,” Weir said in an interview.
“Without a plan, it can become easy to get distracted by day-to-day operations instead of driving meaningful progress forward.”
The police force has been working over the past few months to lay a foundation for the new five-year planning document.
Weir said that includes reviewing the current plan, analyzing performance data, studying emergency trends and gathering input from staff.
Now, the force is turning its attention to the community as a whole for its input into the new plan.
“The plan isn’t just about what the organization wants, but it’s about what the community needs,” said Weir.
An online survey was launched on the police force’s website on Monday. Paper copies are available at police headquarters, City Hall and public libraries throughout the city.
A series of roundtables will also be hosted over the coming weeks to get input from residents and business owners.
- May 14: Assumption Centre, 721 Chapel St., 6 to 8 p.m.
- May 15: Irving Oil Field House, 129 McAllister Dr., 6 to 8 p.m.
- May 22: Nic Nicolle Community Centre, 85 Durham St., 6 to 8 p.m.
- May 29: BGC Greater Saint John, 1 Paul Harris St., 6 to 8 p.m. (geared toward business owners)
- June 2: South End Community Centre, 210 Wentworth St., 6 to 8 p.m.
If you are interested in attending a roundtable, you are encouraged to RSVP by emailing sjproundtables2025@gmail.com.
“Everything that comes to us from the community, from these meetings and from the community survey as well, that’s going to go to an individual at UNB who’s spearheading the gathering of all that data,” said Weir.
“Once they have that, that’s going to be turned over to our senior leadership team to start drafting the final version of the strategic plan.”
The new strategic plan is expected to be completed for final review this fall.
