He and Ian Thies are two of the four protective bike officers in Saskatoon. They were introduced by the SHA in June.
There are many “tight” areas on the campus that vehicles can’t reach and it may take too long for foot patrol officers; that’s where he sees bike patrols being the perfect answer, Nadon said. “Nobody who works in the health authority or a patient that’s coming in should actually have to fear for their own personal safety trying to get in to work or trying to get in to get care,” she said.Article content
The SHA says it plans to implement the patrols at St. Paul’s in the future, but in 2023 a limited number of officers could be trained. The officers are unarmed and have radios, handcuffs, flashlights and de-escalation and defensive tactic training. “It can be scary inside. Fights break out; all sorts of things happen because there isn’t enough security inside the buildings, and I hear this a lot from St. Paul’s Hospital,” she said.