By Cst. Maury Tyre, Media Relations Officer, Campbell River RCMP
It’s been a busy year for the Campbell River RCMP as we close in on 2020 and 17,000 calls for service in 2019. When compared to 2018 the Campbell River RCMP are up approximately 11 per cent in overall call volume. When compared to the five-year average, call volume is up approximately 7 per cent.
Calls for service during the course of the year have had an extremely broad range. Our members were involved in a helicopter crash investigation, murder investigation in Orchard Grove, fatal accident investigations on area highways, several high-risk incidents involving firearms, missing persons investigations and technical investigations into frauds and child pornography. All these major investigations require substantial police manpower and resources.
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During the year, one of our off-duty officers even faced an individual who pointed a firearm at him. This action led to an extensive seizure of firearms from a private residence nearby.
In addition to the major files that the Campbell River RCMP look into, there are the smaller files that we realize are very big concerns for the people who come to us for assistance. Assaults, domestic violence, thefts, mental health concerns, frauds, traffic complaints and many concerns that do not fall under police purview, but our members will act as mediators.
A recent incident where one of our members was brutally attacked while conducting a traffic stop is a too close for comfort reminder of the dangers our police face on a daily basis. It cannot go without acknowledging that two members of our community showed great care and courage in assisting that officer and we’d really like to thank them.
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In the new year, the local police look forward to continuing to serve the community, with a priority being placed on proactive crime prevention initiatives. It is our hope that working with the community to prevent criminal activity will pay long-term dividends and make Campbell River a less desirable location for those who wish to ply their criminal trade.
On behalf of Inspector Jeff Preston and the entire Campbell River RCMP, I would like to wish the entire community a safe and happy holiday season and a peaceful new year.
