INNISFAIL -- With a concerned eye on potentially "significant" liability issues, the town will not become a member of the Innisfail Business Association (IBA) and be a part of its private security model for the community, most notably for the vulnerable Westgate Industrial Park.
However, the town has said yes to exploring different models to enhance public safety throughout the entire community.
"The thing is that our insurance people are telling us that (we) can't make those sort of agreements with unregistered people or organizations, so we have to be very careful," said Mayor Jim Romane of the proposed partnership with the IBA. "We are going to look at all options. It may mean increasing our numbers of CPOs (community peace officers) or even increasing the number of police."
However, Romane said a solution could come at an increased cost to the town. "It's not cheap. These are the things we have to address," said Romane, adding the town has had regular discussions with the Innisfail RCMP on the community public safety issue.
While council passed a motion at its regular meeting on March 11 to not become a member of IBA "at this time" it also adopted a second to direct administration to explore alternatives of providing improved community security, and to bring back a recommendation within 60 days.
The issue of the Town of Innisfail becoming an IBA member was most recently brought to council at its regular meeting on March 11 through a presentation by Michelle Honeyman, the town's director of community services.
Honeyman's presentation followed a council resolution from last Nov. 13 for administration to research the insurance and legal liabilities of the town joining the IBA and participating in the association's contracted private security service (Pentagon Security), which began about a year ago for industrial park members and later spread to serve businesses in the east area of town. The IBA had asked the town to become a member.
"As previously reported, administration has identified significant liability to the town if a monetary donation is made in supporting and endorsing the service," said Honeyman. "In basic terms, if the town is providing some form of commitment of service the town could likely be named in a lawsuit if one were to occur."
Honeyman said the town contacted its insurance company last year for direction on the issue but has not sought legal guidance.
Following Honeyman's presentation, council was told the private security service has reduced crime in the industrial park by more than 90 per cent and if it were lost due to ongoing operational costs, a new wave of crime would strike the area and possibly beyond.
"We certainly don't want to go back to the way we were," said Coun. Glen Carritt, an IBA member and business owner at the industrial park who reminded the rest of council the park was at one time victimized with $500,000 worth of thefts in just one month. "We need to look at the alternative if the town is not ready to take those responsibilities and the risk with a private company. We need to look at perhaps putting our peace officers on at night."
Honeyman told council that staff has discussed changing the hours of work for the community peace office to have expanded coverage into the early evening but not for overnight.
"We still have a duty to make sure our employees are safe," said Honeyman. She added the town is not saying businesses cannot subscribe to the private security service. "They have every right to continue to purchase the service. They are private companies. They can continue to do that. The liability comes to the town if it endorses and/or contributes to that."
In the meantime, Ron Bristow, president of the 25-member IBA, said he was at first disappointed with council's decision not to join the association but understood the liability reasoning behind it. However, he said the association will keep working with the town to find the best security solutions for the industrial park and the entire community.
"The feedback I got is that they realize that our security initiative we have taken here by the business association is very effective so we don't want to lose that momentum either," he said. "We will work with them, exchange ideas and come up with a solution I am sure.
"Our relationship with the town is much better than it has ever been," added Bristow. "There's got to be a solution that will fit their needs and ours as well."
