The Regina Police Service announced a new project to improve public safety and reduce traffic safety issues in areas of concern.

The RPS launched a pilot project to see marked police vehicles used to deter crime.

Regina Police said that over the next several weeks, marked police vehicles will be parked in pre-determined areas around the city. At times, no officers will be present in the vehicles, which are decommissioned patrol vehicles.

While no officers are in the vehicles, officers may be in the area in their active patrol vehicles.

Staff Sergeant Ryan Dureau with the Regina Police Service’s Community Services Division said the idea is to use visible, marked police vehicles to encourage safe behaviours.

“We don’t know yet if this will be a good fit for our city, but it has been rolled out in other jurisdictions, and we thought it was worth exploring here.”

The pilot project will be evaluated in the coming months to determine its effectiveness.