The Lloydminster Municipal Police Committee has completed its first full year in existence and updated council on its ongoing efforts.
Read more: VIDEO: Policing committee draws large, engaged crowd
Committee chair Darrell Dunn presented to council at the March 16 Governance and Priorities Committee meeting, reflecting on the year the committee has had.
On Feb. 24, 2025, the committee’s terms of reference were approved by council, followed by a call for applications. A few months later, on May 5, 2025, six members of the public, alongside a member of council, were appointed to the committee.
The committee held its first meeting on May 30, 2025, where members discussed the role of the committee, the RCMP structure and RCMP contract specifics. Dunn was appointed chair and Coun. Jim Taylor was appointed vice-chair later in the summer.
Since then, the committee has reviewed crime statistics, community concerns and engagement strategies, ultimately culminating in a packed open house on Nov. 6, 2025.
“We looked at doing an open house and reviewed the details of the one that happened a year prior, and there were very few people at that one,” said Dunn. “We wanted to try to get more people, so on Nov. 6, which was interesting because it was pretty much the first snowstorm of the year, we held our first open house and ended up with a surprising number of people showing up.”
The open house filled the Legacy Centre and various questions were asked of attendees. Topics included areas the RCMP should focus on, policing priorities and safety in the community.
“Some of the things we got back were that the community wants to be more connected to RCMP services and their members,” said Dunn. “We felt they didn’t have a strong understanding of the different policing levels.”
Coun. Taylor said members were eager to get things rolling.
“I think our committee was eager to get started, but unsure how to get started,” he said, explaining Andrew DeGruchy, director of public safety, helped get things going during the first few meetings.
Dunn also outlined the committee’s recommended community priorities plan for the upcoming year, which includes increased community connection and presence, crime reduction initiatives and traffic enforcement.
He said the committee acts as a middleman between the public and the RCMP.
“We want to understand what people are talking about and we want to make sure that’s translated to RCMP management,” said Dunn.
Taylor pointed to safety as a concern in the community.
“It is a huge concern,” he said, explaining the committee helps set priorities based on what members are hearing, while not restricting the RCMP from addressing issues they identify.
Looking back on his time so far, Taylor said he is looking forward to where the committee goes next.
“I’ve enjoyed being on this committee. We’re learning a lot and I look forward to where it goes over the next year,” he said.
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