Community Safety Action Plan presented to Council, implementation underway
Chief Brian Cummings of the Miramichi Police Force presented the Community Safety Action Plan to council and advised the four new action items in the plan would be in place within a month.
The Miramichi Police Force’s Community Safety Action Plan was presented to City Council by Chief Brian Cummings at a Council in Committee Meeting held Tuesday, October 14th, 2025.
In addition to the efforts already being undertaken to address community concerns that include homelessness, addiction and the perceived rise in crime, the police force will create a Community Safety Action Team and a Prolific Offender Management Initiative.
A Neighbourhood Watch Program will be created along with a Community Drug Committee.
The Community Safety Action Plan plan was created by the police force at the request of City Council during a meeting on September 2nd, 2025 in response to concerns raised by the Downtown Newcastle Business District and city residents. While Chief Cummings had advised of the efforts already in place, council asked that a plan be developed to address safety concerns in Zone 1, the Newcastle area of the City.
The current efforts include 24-hour citywide coverage and visibility by the patrol division, focused engagement with residents and businesses and a commitment to early intervention and prevention. Cummings said while the department’s statistics show they are down 250 calls for service from the same time in 2024, there is a perception the crime rate has risen.
Foot patrols have brought a targeted presence in high-traffic and problem-prone areas, helps build approachability and trust through visibility, and strengthens community connection and reassurance.
A targeted policing group made up of officers volunteering on scheduled time off concentrated patrols in priority areas, and combined visibility with focused enforcement.
E-bikes were used to conduct quiet, discreet patrols across all terrains with enhanced access to the trails, waterfronts and parks. Cummings said two more bikes will be added to patrol in other parts of the city.
Drones are being used to expand the patrol division’s reach and efficiency, provide aerial awareness in hard to access areas. There are plans to upgrade the drones to have a spotlight on them and provide training to more officers.
A partnership with the Mobile Crisis Team assists with a joint response with mental health professionals to assist with on scene assessments and de-escalation. The team assists with connecting individuals to support services rather than enforcement alone.
The Integrated Enforcement Unit will continue to focus on large-scale drug trafficking and organized networks through investigations with their province wide partnerships to disrupt the flow of drugs and weapons in to the city.
Cummings explained the new Community Safety Action Team will be a dedicated, proactive policing unit that will combine street level enforcement with community focused problem solving. This team will target priority issues: drug activity, property crime and areas where public disturbances are noted to be increasing.
This team will also partner with community stakeholders to attempt to address the causes for calls for service stemming from homelessness, mental health, and addictions.
The Prolific Offender Management Program will work to focus on a small number of individuals that are responsible for a large amount of the repeat crime in the community that have the most impact on the residents and businesses. Through partnerships with the Crown, and social partners, repeat offenders will be monitored through enforcement and supervision with referrals to housing, addictions and mental health supports. The referrals are subject to the offender’s willingness to participate. This will include regular reviews of their status and outcomes to measure the effectiveness and make adjustments if necessary.
A new Neighbourhood Watch Program will bring city residents and police together to build neighbourhoods that are safer, stronger and more connected. There will be a steering group of local residents and the police department’s Community Services Officer to guide and oversee the program. An invitation to join or learn more about the program has been posted on the Miramichi Police Force’s Facebook page.
After reviewing the plan with council, Chief Cummings said he hoped with the work already being done and the new Community Safety Action Team, and the Prolific Offender Management Program, there will be a reduction in repeat calls and property crime, a greater coordination between enforcement and outreach, and stronger community relationships and public confidence will be built.
Mayor Adam Lordon commended Chief Cummings and his team for the work they had put into creating the Community Safety Action Plan and asked about the timelines to implement each new initiative.
Cummings said most will be up and running within a month or so. Updates will be provided each month at the Public Safety Standing Committee meeting.