OUR GOAL: Our customers can expect to be greeted courteously, with respect, a prompt offer of assistance and a can-do attitude.

Community Safety Advisory Committee

The Community Safety Advisory Committee is an ongoing group of five citizens who research and recommend action related to keeping Prior Lake safe and healthy. The committee meets the second Thursday of each month at 4 p.m. at City Hall.

This committee works with City staff periodically to discuss and clarify the implementation of the 15 items identified in the Community Safety Task Force Report presented to the City Council in August, 2008 (see below).

The committee is responsible for reassembling a larger group (35 – 40) to review and refocus our efforts every 18-24 months. This process will continue so that the goals and objectives agreed upon integrate with the 2030 Vision and Strategic Plan and can be incorporated into the Safe and Healthy Community Vision Element.

Staff recommendations of the top three priorities in each category, together with funding for each, is shown below: 

Substance Use and Abuse

• Adopt social host ordinance and encourage SCALE to recommend the same County-wide.  Some attorney and staff time will be needed to accomplish this recommendation.Contract with Climb Theatre for all children in sixth, eighth and ninth grade in the coming school year to present a program on gateway drugs (alcohol, tobacco and prescription drugs).  The cost for the next school year is $6,300 which has been requested from the Prior Lake Rotary.
• Purchase the Intoxiclock to facilitate better blood-alcohol awareness training at Lakefront Days, Community Fest and other community-wide events.  The cost is $1,275 which has been requested from Prior Lake Rotary.

Predatory Offender

• Host a “Train the Trainer” session in protecting our kids from predatory behavior for up to forty police officers.  It is offered free by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.  Our obligation is to supply the site for this all-day program.  Each agency will be responsible for the wages for those who attend.  The training would be offered to any metropolitan agency.Provide “Netsmartz” training for kids and parents who enroll.  Officer O’Hehir has received training in this program which is designed to teach parents and children about safe Internet usage.  (This program is a priority for bullying and harassment training as well since the Internet has become a site where such actions take place.)  A modest fee is charged to cover materials.  City costs are primarily Officer O’Hehir’s time.
• Establish a standardized background check protocol, share it with volunteer organizations and investigate the possibility of the City acting as the centralized background check facility.  Some costs will be incurred investigating the data available and in researching the extent to which and under what conditions this information can be shared.

Inactive Neighborhoods

• Encourage neighborhood organizations meeting certain criteria to be on the City’s opening Web page.  Allow them to provide information for entry by the City to keep the page up-to-date.  The City could also use the page to get targeted information to these neighborhoods.  Over time there will be technical costs to add pages to the Website.  There will be additional personnel costs to enter data.
• Associations that have conducted Neighborhood Night Out or have organized Neighborhood Watch would be encouraged to offer both programs to their membership.  To those that do, City staff or City Council members would be available to attend their annual or quarterly association meetings to provide information or learn more about neighborhood concerns.  Initial costs are already provided for in the budget.  As these prevention-minded programs become more numerous among associations, there is a significant likelihood that a full-time position will need to be devoted to them in the future.
• Through the Chamber or other community-wide organization, encourage associations who have done National Night Out or Neighborhood Watch in the last year to enter teams to complete in sporting events with traveling trophies which would culminate with a “Community Olympics” as part of Lakefront Days.

 Bullying and Harassment

• Provide “Netsmartz” training to kids and parents who enroll.  This program includes advice regarding “cyberbullying” to gain common knowledge, awareness and means for addressing such behavior on the Internet.Invite School Liaison Officers to meet with coaches, organizations such as PLAY, Prior Lake Soccer, Prior Lake-Savage Hockey Association, and others to promote consistent messages with the school district regarding bullying and harassment.  Initially, costs are expected to be minimal.
• Attend annual homeowner association and civic club meetings to provide adult/parent education on bullying and harassment.  Initial costs are expected to be minimal.

Traffic, Driving, Accidents Subcommittee

• Ask the School District to issue parking permits only to students who are willing to take a pledge to use seatbelts, avoid distractions while driving and commit to not driving with substance use.  If violated, the student would lose the parking permit.  Costs would be modest to print the pledges if the School District is unable to do so.
• Use the City Website, electronic signs and printed publications to promote a “Slow Down – Save Money – Save Lives” campaign.  Funds for this program would be incorporated in the 2009 budget.

Encourage ISD 719 to partner with the Scott County Safe Communities Coalition to implement youth safety initiatives to improve driving behavior.

> Community Safety Task Force Report <