By Times Staff
Calls for service to Clearwater RCMP detachment continue to increase, according to Sgt. Grant Simpson, the NCO-in-charge.
Reporting to town council on Jan. 23, he said that the number of calls for service from the beginning of April to the end of December totaled 1,599.
Sgt Simpson mug
This compares to 1,486 for the same period in 2016 and 1,496 for 2015.
Clearwater accounted for 50 per cent of the total call volume for the final quarter of 2017, the sergeant said.
Blackpool had 12 per cent, Vavenby and Blue River nine per cent, Avola six per cent, and Birch Island three per cent.
The remaining outlying areas accounted for 47 calls for service or 11 per cent of the detachment’s call volume.
The large majority of the detachment’s service delivery involved traffic related incidents on Highway 5, which accounted for roughly 60 per cent during the quarter.
These include traffic complaints, suspicious vehicles, collisions and impaired investigations.
Sixteen per cent of the calls were person-related offenses, which includes assaults of all types, uttering threats, sex crimes and harassment.
Provincial statute investigations amounted to 14 per cent of the detachment’s files.
Eight per cent of the investigations were property-related. These included arsons, break and enters, thefts, frauds and mischief.
Two per cent of the investigations were drug-related during this past quarter.
The detachment priorities for 2017/2018 remain:
1) Traffic enforcement, including speeding plus impaired and distracted driving;
2) Organized crime, including prolific offenders, curfew checks and increased drug seizures;
3) Police community relations and visibility; and
4)Vulnerable persons, including reducing domestic violence.
Simpson said that detachment members have been actively targeting the noted priorities with a view to reducing local crime trends and increasing police visibility and activity within the community.
These priorities will again be reviewed and reassessed with local stakeholders to determine and outline a detachment performance plan for 2018/2019
A winter seasonal policing initiative is underway and has garnered success thus far.
The detachment will continue to take advantage of additional funding that is available by conducting additional traffic, park, back woods and snowmobile patrols.
The Clearwater detachment is presently at full strength, with one sergeant, one corporal and four constables. However, one constable is currently off duty.
READ MORE: New sergeant at Clearwater RCMP (Sept. 18, 2017)
The detachment is supported by three Central Interior Traffic Services (highway patrol) members who work from the same office and live in the community. One Traffic Services member is being transferred to Williams Lake. A replacement member has been identified and will soon be working here.
The detachment continues to be supported by numerous volunteers who include, but are not limited to, Victim Services, an Interagency Case Assessment Team (ICAT) and one Auxiliary member.
Clearwater detachment also continues to work closely with its partners on the front-lines of emergency services, which include the fire and ambulance services, search and rescue volunteers, Ministry of Transportation, and Ministry of Children and Family Development, just to name a few.
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