Public Safety
I currently chair the Port Moody Police Board, and part of my mandate was to implement a new strategic plan. Our Board held numerous roundtable sessions and conducted extensive fact-find meetings with varied stakeholder groups – ranging from residents to local businesses to sports clubs – to get extensive input into the planning process, and in 2017, we completed the strategic plan to chart the course for PMPD over the next three years.
The PMPD does an excellent job keeping Port Moody one of the safest communities in Canada, responding to 7,989 calls for service in 2017. With the unofficial mantra “no call too small,” the PMPD from 2007 to 2016 had a 38% reduction in the crime rate, a 30% drop in criminal code offences, and a clearance rate of 42% – compared to a provincial average of 32%.
Port Moody Fire-Rescue also continues to continues to deliver exceptionally high service levels for all residents, responding to over 1,450 incidents in 2017. They completed over 1,100 fire inspections last year and continue to work extensively with schools, community groups, and individual homeowners on public education and safety.
1. Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General Policing and Security Branch British Columbia Policing Jurisdiction Crime Trends, 2007 - 2016
Recreation
I was elected to Council in 2005, and the City has taken our recreation programs and facilities to new levels since then. With the expansion of the new recreation centre, the City offered significantly more options for residents, including the gymnasium, weight room, spinning room, and many other health and fitness programs. Our recreation facility is known as a "facility of choice."
And we have also been busy "outside" acquiring and dedicating new parkland, improving our existing facilities in Rocky Point, Westhill, Heritage Mountain and Glenayre, and developing new trails on our already fantastic nature trail system. We are in the late planning stages for the redevelopment of Inlet field to artificial turf, which will allow our soccer, baseball, softball, and other ‘field-based’ sports to expand their programs to better serve residents. This year we look forward to a dramatic increase in our curling programs as we will be joined by hundreds of new members from Coquitlam.
Festivals and Events
During our 2015 Council strategic planning process, it was critical for me that the city push for events and activities for young families that were free or very low cost. This priority has become a reality.
I have personally worked on many significant new events in the city and I am so proud of the response we have received. Last summer's Car Free Day drew over 20,000 attendees and was probably the single biggest community event that I worked on for years to bring to our community.
I've also wanted to see a dragon boat regatta here since we opened the Old Mill Boathouse, and was so pleased to help make that possible this year with the Inlet Spring Regatta. The Summer Sunday Concert Series in the park continues to be a resounding success, drawing people from around the region to Rocky Point Park each Sunday in the summer to take in some great music in our beautiful venue.
It's clear that the secret is out of the bag: Port Moody is fun! Port Moody-ites have caught on to the vibe and are participating in the many activities and celebrations the city and our partner organizations offer. This summer, hop on the Shoreline Shuttle – a pilot project I recommended to Council – and take advantage of the many events we have going on in our city.