Moncton council is considering a crime reduction plan calling for spending millions more on safety services and greater control over the Codiac Regional RCMP.
The plan presented at a council meeting Tuesday has five goals that include lower crime rates, crime prevention measures and governance changes. The plan also includes timelines, specific targets and cost estimates.
“We have a crime fighting plan, we believe it will lead to positive results,” said Coun. Daniel Bourgeois, one of the councillors who drafted the plan.
The plan presented a month before the municipal election comes as a group of downtown business owners called on council and RCMP to address “out of control” crime in the core. RCMP responded to the statement by saying its data shows declines in reported crime.
The plan presented Tuesday notes the crime rate in the Moncton area has declined since peaking in 2021, but remains above the crime rate for Fredericton, Saint John and the national average.
“We can do better and we must do better,” Bourgeois said.
The plan was produced by a committee created last fall that included Bourgeois, councillors Bryan Butler, Monique LeBlanc and Charles Leger, as well as the executive director of business group Downtown Moncton Centre-ville Inc.
Council on Tuesday voted 8-1 to adopt the plan in principle. Coun. Susan Edgett voted against, saying city staff weren’t given enough time to consider the impact of the plan.
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