RCMP Const. Tracy Dunsmore hopes that when Merritt’s Community Policing Office (CPO) packs up and moves its operations to Spirit Square, it will be a form of crime prevention.

The CPO will be moving down the street from its spot on Quilchena Avenue to the former Fireside Centre at Spirit Square by the end of May.

Dunsmore, who works out of the office as the RCMP’s liaison, says they’ve been considering making the move to this new location for a few years.

She said the perks of moving to the new building include added space, and the fact the CPO can be front and centre at Spirit Square.

“It may deter some of the crime that we see over there. We see open drinking, a little bit of loitering, a lot of skateboarding and bike riding,” she said, adding that having CPO programs using the square and more of a public presence may deter criminal activity.

She told members of city council’s police committee that she doesn’t think the move will deter people from visiting the CPO office.

That’s because the majority of people who do visit the office aren’t resident who suddenly get an urge to suddenly drop in for a visit, she said.

“The come here because they’re specifically coming to see us,” Dunsmore said.

The move is getting some help from city council, which voted unanimously to spend up to $10,000 on renovations to their new home at Tuesday’s regular council meeting.

“Although this is a good idea and I’m going to vote for it, it does bring up one negative and that’s another storefront on our main street that will be empty,” said Coun. Dave Baker.

The funds are expected to be used to renovate the existing flooring, which is estimated to cost $7,000.

Dunsmore said the CPO will continue to run all the programs it currently offers when it changes locations.

Currently, the CPO rents out a building from a third party, but the move to the city-owned building at Spirit Square will save the city about $10,800 on rent.

However, due to the former tenant in the Spirit Square building now moving, it will be a net zero venture.

The CPO is a municipal entity that offers programs geared at crime prevention such as Block Watch, Foot Patrol and Speed Watch.

The $10,000 the city is spending on renovating the flooring wasn’t included in its 2016-2020 five-year financial plan and will need to come from reserves for future expenditures account.

The move to Spirit Square comes as the former tenants of the building — the Fireside youth program of ASK Wellness — moved to the former Coquihalla Middle School.