REGINA - It’s been over a year now since Farooq Hassan Sheikh became the new police chief of the Regina Police Service (RPS).
Sheikh sat down with SaskToday to talk about joining the RPS, what their biggest challenges are right now and more.
How has your first year with the RPS been?
"Well, I think [it has been] really, really good. You probably know yourself when you go to a new province [and a] new area, you know, [it] takes a few months [to] just get [a feel] for the area and get to know where to go or where not to go. [I have] Thoroughly enjoyed it. You know, I get to work with some, you know, great people, get to meet phenomenal people out in the community and their partners, and get to understand obviously some of the issues that we have here."
What have been the issues people have told you?
"Everybody wants to see more visible presence, and it's not just this province, [it is] anywhere you go. They want to see more cops downtown. There's some concerns that people didn't feel as safe as they should. So some shoppers didn't feel safe. Some of the business owners didn't feel safe. And you know, and that [has] caused a concern because when you go to [the] downtown [area] and you go to [the] shopping mall for the people, the businesses [that] are there, they want to get business. And at the same time, people, when [they] do go shopping, they don't want to feel they're at risk for any harm. So that was one of the concerns. And obviously, different areas you go to, people may have concerns for other crime[s], or they may have concerns for traffic safety. So wherever you go, there's different concerns. But downtown was a big place because that was coming up [a lot]. So we've got some additional officers [the Alternative Response Officers] down there now to provide that high visible presence on a day-to-day basis. And since we've had those, the feedback is phenomenal."
The RPS introduced the Alternative Response Officers (ARO) back in Oct. How much have they assisted with helping the officers tackle bigger issues?
"I think the fact that they're there, they can deal with low-level matters and, you know, [it works out better than] rather than sending a cop there, also, more importantly, they can prevent those matters happening in the 1st place. You know, some of the things it might be from, you know, anti-social behaviour [or it] might be from low-level shoplifting, it could be [a] robbery, wherever else, But their presence will help deter crime. And, if there is [or are] people that have committed a crime, their presence [is] going to help catch the criminals."
What specific crime have the police dealt with the most recently?
"We have a lot of social issues, you know, and that's not just here. That's every single province. And especially with the city, you know, mental health addictions and some of the stuff that is out of the police hands because we [the police] don't have the power to deal with all [of those things]."
Sheikh also mentioned the complex needs shelter, which was added a few months ago in collaboration with the government. According to Sheikh, around 250 people have gone to the shelter, which includes those most vulnerable or people who overdosed.
Do you feel like North Central is still a big talking point in terms of crime, or has it been getting better?
"I think overall crime is getting better because our overall crime is coming down slightly, which is good news. But I think, you know, there are neighbourhoods where crime is higher than others. But some of the social issues is not just in North Central. It's around here as well. So it's not just North Central."
He also mentioned the initiative the RPS have done over the last few months, where officers visited different neighbourhoods to have a higher police presence while listening to the community.
You mentioned there were other neighbours other than North Central that are dealing with a serenity of crime. Do you know specifically what neighbourhoods those are?
"We know where they are [the crimes]. But at the same time, [there are] some neighbourhoods that may not be [dealing with] a [similar] crime issue. Maybe people [in one area are] driving at [a higher] speed, it might be people with noisy exhaust [in another area], it might be people [that are] like playing loud music. So, each area may have a different issue. So we know that because we have the data to be able to show that."
I noticed kidnapping was one of the crimes that was up in the city. Why do you think that is?
"I can't answer, you know, why any crime may go up. All I can say is that, you know, what can we do to try to reduce crime as a whole? You know, so I mean, the crimes that were, were specifically causing me concern going back to February was arsons, because arsons at one point they were up something like 67 per cent, 69 per cent. So we've done a lot of work, you know, work in collaboration with the fire [and] the city to try to do something about the bins because the majority of the arsons were [from] bins."
Do you feel the arson cases have improved, or is it still a major issue?
"It's still an issue. It's still probably [still at a high rate], and I'll have to look at the [numbers because] I haven't looked at the data today. It's still probably plus 25 per cent, compared to what [it was at] the year before, or maybe [it was] 29 percent at around that time. But when it was 67 per cent or 69 per cent in February, we started to claw it down. So, It's always going to be an issue."
What are some of your biggest priorities right now to tackle crime?
"We [the police] want to set up neighbourhood watch schemes. And, also, we're doing some work with a camera registry system."
Sheikh explained how it would work. "If you [a resident] got a CCTV or Ring doorbell and a lot of people have got that, you know, the system. We're working in partnership [with the people] so you [as a resident] can register [your camera with the police] for free. So I can't look at your camera, but I know you have a camera. So if I got a crime or an issue, I can contact you rather than doing the old-fashioned traditional way, knocking on everyone's door. I can contact you by e-mail. By cell to say, I know you've got a camera there. Would you do me a favour? Just check to see if they got any footage between this time and this time."
He clarified that the police would only be aware of those with a camera who have registered their device with the officers.
What are your goals heading into 2025 in terms of bringing down crime?
"I'm not going to give a number to say I want to bring crime down by X per cent because I think that's unrealistic. But what I wanted to be able to do is I [the police chief] want to be able to come work [with others] in collaboration and partnership. We can look at ways to how can we [the police and the city] reduce overall crime and the crimes that [are] significant, you know, where it really impacts people."
He touched on the safety he wants to bring to detainees in custody. For example, the RPS brought in biometrics for cells that track the heart rate of a person.
Since the technology was brought in, Sheikh said five lives have been saved. One of the biggest issues the police faced was bringing in a suspect with injuries or bleeding that they couldn’t see. So, the biometrics have helped the police see a heart rate that could be off.
Ensuring safety is a top priority for Sheikh, as he wants to continue to protect the lives of the people of Regina.
