Taber police shed light on safety
COUNCIL APPROVES PLAN FOR ENHANCED STREET ILLUMINATION
Enforcement concerns over illumination in twin alleys in Taber’s downtown has motivated council to sign off on a plan for enhanced street lighting.
The Taber Police Service asked public works to look into the cost of illuminating the alley north of 48th Avenue between 53rd Street and 54th Street and the alley behind 5303 47th Avenue. Police were concerned about criminal activity in these areas because of the lack of illumination in the alleys.
“Chief Abela approached us, and informed us, of a high crime rate in two lanes, and they would like some lighting to ensure that they have visual contact down the lanes,” said public works director Gary Scherer at town council’s April 23 meeting. “There is a high cost associated with this, but if you look up at the poles, there’s a number of wires that they’re going to have to move around to get these lights in.”
The cost of the project will be $8,703.82 to be funded from capital reserves, and will assist in “lighting dimly lit areas that are currently used for criminal and community standards occurrences.” Fortis Alberta proposed the installation of five additional 150 watt LED streetlights on eight-foot streetlight brackets.
“Recently, I have noted that the streetlights in our community do not sufficiently illuminate several intersections and other locations,” stated TPS Chief Graham Abela in a midApril letter to Scherer. “I will be conducting a review this spring that will examine intersection lighting as it relates to pedestrian traffic and will provide a report to the (police) commission at that time. I am of the view, however, that an immediate change should be made in two locations that would assist in lighting dimly lit areas that are currently used for criminal and community standards occurrences.”
Areas of concern cited by Abela included the alley south of the Royal Hotel tavern east to the Oilmen’s Club (53rd Street – 54th Street) and the alley north of the Palace Hotel tavern east to the Taber Gymnastics Fitness Club facility (53rd Street – 54th Street). Fortis Alberta would also point out that a lighting design had not been performed for the project, requiring a “lighting waiver” to be signed by the municipality prior to construction as illumination levels may not meet industry recommendations.
“This project has not been designed to meet Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) guidelines,” stated Fortis quotation analyst Chris Yau in a March 27 letter to the town.
“We wish to bring this point to your attention, since we recommend that all lighting systems be designed to meet IESNA guidelines. We will however, respect your decision should you choose to proceed with this lighting installation even though it does not.”
Coun. Garth Bekkering asked Scherer what he thought about the merits of the project.
“I think it’s a very good idea. I think it would help your police out immensely.”
Officers have very flexible shifts, their only requirement for the Solicitor General is to work the 37.5 hours as the M.D. pays them for,” answered Kirk Hughes, Regional Enforcement Services sergeant.
One area of concern brought forward by a few attendees was around the Range Road 164 or the more typically called “Walmart Road,”
In the 2019 spring M.D. Connection newsletter M.D., CPO stats were presented and Rabusic found one of the provincial violations issued to be particularly interesting.
“Judging by the skid marks that are on that Walmart road south of town, I am very surprised to see there was only one stunting ticket handed out,” he said.
Hughes explained that a
different offence was usually handed out in those circumstances due to them being more appropriate for the violation.
“Usually in those regards, the ticket that gives us the biggest fine is speeding. Stunting is a lower fine than speeding and generally the people we stop on the Walmart road are in excess of 40 kilometres sometimes,” explained Hughes, who also answered the notion brought forward around the CPO program is in place to generate revenue.
“If the CPO program was to create revenue, we would make a lot of money. I think we have $40,000 in revenue listed last year. Two CPOs, their mandate is certainly not revenue generation, if it was, there would be a lot more angry people here. The majority of what we deal with is the educational component and community safety.”