Bathurst Police Force moves into new territory
Starting in March, force will take over areas city gained during municipal reform
Some residents of Bathurst will soon have a new police service taking over areas that had been served by the RCMP.
Starting March 5, Ward 2, an area absorbed during 2023's municipal reform, will be under the jurisdiction of the Bathurst Police Force.
These include portions of North Tetagouche and South Tetagouche, Ste. Anne, Big River, Roughwaters Drive, Gloucester Junction, Chamberlain Settlement, and Route 134 beyond Miramichi Avenue.
Police Chief Guy Thériault said officers are looking forward to the new responsibility.
"They excited that's for sure," said Thériault. "I mean, it's always nice to have extra territory."
Thériault said the new territory spans about 85 square kilometres and includes about 80 to 85 roads.
The force has hired an additional four officers, who are from the region and have just graduated from police training.
"We say we never have enough, but with four we're more than comfortable saying that we are ready and we can respond to the demand that we have," said Thériault.
The change could also mean quicker service times for residents of Ward 2, as the RCMP has a larger geographic area to cover.
"I mean, RCMP can sometimes be in Belledune or in Stonehaven," said Thériault.
"We're basically within five kilometres of any call at any time. So there's definitely a quicker response time because of geographics."
While Thériault could not give a dollar figure, he said the move would also represent a cost savings for the city.
He said he hasn't heard a lot of concern from citizens about the move. He said while residents may notice an increase in patrols and police presence, most residents won't notice a huge difference in service.
"At the end of the day it is going to be the same thing," said Thériault.
"If it's an urgent matter, they call 911 and the police service will follow up.
"And the same thing for non-urgent. They can call the the main line, the police station, and we will answer their questions."
With files from Information Morning Moncton