'Alternate police officers' start patrolling Saskatoon's downtown and Riversdale areas

Five new special constables are out walking the beat in the Saskatoon Riversdale and downtown areas.

TheAlternative Response Officers (AROs) are part ofa one-year pilot project working on outreach and referral services, and assisting regular patrol officers and members of the Traffic Division.

The new officers willconnectwith vulnerable people, findthe support people needand regularly engagewith businesses and citizens, according to a list of duties from the Saskatoon Police Service.

Other duties will include transporting arrested persons, providing assistance in detention,taking complaints from citizens, writing police reports.and participating in parades, ceremonies and public events.

The special constables, who are not fully armed, are meant to free upregular police officers to respond to calls for service.

The AROShave a distinctive uniform grey shirts, special constable patches and distinctly marked vehiclesto tell them apart from regular officers.