News came out of Monday night's City Council meeting that Council approved a 1-year agreement between the City and the Portage la Prairie School Division to fund one full-time RCMP employee at a rate of 50% for each party.

Councilor Sharilyn Knox City explains the importance of this program.

"It's a partnership that we've had between the Portage la Prairie School Division and the City to have an RCMP liaison member in the school during the school year. It's important because it provides support to the staff and administration of the schools, but also it helps build relationships between the students and the RCMP."

Knox shares with Portage Online what the RCMP liaison worker did when students were learning remotely at points during the pandemic.

"During COVID, we had to make some different arrangements, and the RCMP member went back to work outside of the school. They do what they can with the school when needed, but of course, COVID changed everything, but now that students are back in schools, we should be back with the same program that we had before."

The RM of Portage was involved in this program in the past, but it was noted in Monday night's council meeting that they chose not to participate this time around.