Fairhaven residents can expect to see more officers in the neighbourhood: Saskatoon police

Fairhaven neighbourhood residents can expect to see an increased uniformed presence of police and fire personnel in the coming months, according to the Saskatoon Police Service.

The Saskatoon Tribal Council released stats on Tuesday saying calls to police in the Fairhaven neighbourhood have gone down since the wellness centre opened, but Saskatoon police are saying the data might not be reflective of overall area trends.

“We would caution that this data is only reflective of calls for service to the Fairhaven neighbourhood,” a spokesperson for the police service said.

The police said incorporating the data for the Confederation Suburban Centre — which includes the area between Fairmont and Circle Drive from the William A. Reid Park to the Confederation Mall — would likely reflect differently.

“We are in the process of doing that now and do anticipate changes in activity in these neighbourhoods, including increased pedestrian traffic,” the statement said.

“We will continue to monitor the level of activity over a longer period; knowing that cold weather also influences this data.”

The police are committed to addressing the concerns of community members, the statement said.

“In the short-term, with the support of community and civic partners, we are working together to address emerging concerns in the area, including; response to the needs of vulnerable persons, reassurance of public safety to concerned community members, and maintenance of public spaces.”

In the long term, the police said they would be reaching out to all levels of government for more funding to sustain its response to the increased community concerns.