Wood Buffalo RCMP are planning to open a downtown office in the coming weeks.
Police officers will soon be working out of Jubilee Plaza, taking over the McMurray Experience and the old Blue Mountain Bistro space.
Superintendent Mark Hancock tells Mix News his officers will be able to use the space for a multitude of different needs.
“They’ll be able to actually sit down and take statements… we have an area where we can do presentations and some community policing things.”
This will be the third building for RCMP officers in the Fort McMurray area.
Their main detachment continues to be in Timberlea, while they still have the south policing facility in Gregoire.
Hancock says adding this new location will help them get a better presence in the downtown area.
“I’m hoping to get your foot patrols, your bicycle patrols in the summer, and have a little bit of visibility down there.”
The RCMP is the second group in recent weeks to announce they’re having employees work out of the area. Syncrude announced in February they were planning to move around 300 of their employees off-site and into downtown.
“I think downtown has a lot of potential, why not have members down there so people feel safe all the time,” added Hancock.
The building will reportedly also be shared by bylaw officers.
It’s expected to be open by the end of spring.
