RCMP Constable Kevin Wynn near old smoking location

 

Steinbach RCMP has offered some thoughts on recent activities at Steinbach Regional.  The school has moved the official student smoking area from a site next to McKenzie Avenue to the middle of a lawn area near the parking lot.  RCMP Constable Kevin Wynn says from his perspective this is a good move.  He explains RCMP has no formal opinion on the smoking issue at all and needs to consider the matter without talking about smoking.  Constable Wynn reports there is no law against students smoking or possessing tobacco but he says the old smoking location was a safety and public nuisance issue.  He adds RCMP have not been a part of the process about moving the smoking location nor will RCMP be part of any formal review. 

Constable Wynn says the way RCMP look at it is:  There is a large group of students engaged in activity near a busy roadway.  Is it better to have the group next to a busy street or have them in a safe secure environment with better supervision?  He notes the safety for students is paramount and says it is better to keep them away from the streets for several reasons.

Over the years he has been in contact with some of the residents on Mackenzie who live across the street from the old smoking area.  There have been complaints of trespassing and littering .  He says it wasn't a huge problem but there were concerns from the public.  Constable Wynn adds McKenzie can be a busy street at times and students wandering around near the street wasn't always a good thing. 

Meanwhile when asked if moving the smoking location off a busy street makes a difference to possible drug drops or exchanges in that area, Constable Wynn says, "having the students congregate near the streets does make it convenient for things like that to happen such as different transactions that might be made during school hours.  And being on Mackenzie it is quite easy for vehicles to stop and do business with students at the school.  With this shelter they have, it makes it a lot more difficult for that kind of thing to happen.  There's better supervision and they are away from the streets and away from the public and are more centralized on school grounds.  As far as that goes I don't see a downside to the new location."