Commissionaires at RPL Central Branch named regional team of the year

The team of Commissionaires at The Regina Public Library’s downtown branch have received one of the organization’s top honours.

It comes after they de-escalated a dangerous situation outside the library doors last June. The award also recognizes their daily efforts to make the library a welcoming place.

The library’s team of Commissionaires are on a first name basis with many patrons. The library feels the Commissionaires’ approach works well with clientele who come from diverse lived experiences.

“Moving from more of an enforcement approach to an empathy approach, we were seeking out to work with a security agency or organization that matches that empathy led customer service approach and that’s what we have with the Commissionaires,” Amber Christensen, executive director at the Central Library, said.

Last June, the Commissionaires defused a street incident involving a weapon that spilled into the library foyer. For that and their day to day work, the library Commissionaires have been named their organization’s regional team of the year.

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“We are really proud. This is something that I never ever expected from the Commissionaires and here we are. We’re the team and it makes my crew feel really good,” Allan Eberts, the supervisor for Library Commissionaires, said.

The award is for going above and beyond what might normally be expected in the security profession.

“We’re the only non-profit security company in North America and our values are very important to us so Al and his team won our team commendation for the very complex job they do at the Regina Public Library,” Johnathan Tremblay with Commissionaires South Saskatchewan explained.

The award comes as some libraries across Canada, including Saskatoon, limit evening hours in order to manage risk. Regina Commissaries feel they can create a safer environment through meeting the needs of their patrons.