The closure of Burns Lake’s Lakeland Hotel may have contributed to a significant decrease in the amount of drug and alcohol-related violence in town, according to the Burns Lake RCMP.
Skin Tyee First Nation purchased the property earlier this year and is planning major renovations and upgrades. The site has been closed for a few months while crews prepare the building for its renovations.
This information was brought to village council when corporal Terry Gillespie and Sabrina St. Pierre presented the Burns Lake RCMP’s quarterly report on Oct. 13, 2015.
Gillespie also described how domestic violence has been a priority in the district this year, saying the RCMP was able to increase the amount domestic violence charges pursued due to enforcement during parole breeches.
“[We were] checking that people aren’t contacting people they’re not supposed to be contacting and we went from three breaches in this quarter last year to 10 breaches this quarter,” he said.
One challenge the RCMP is facing this year is the fact that they exceeded their provincial annual budget by nearly double due to one-off and rare incidents such as the recent triple murder. On April 27, 2015, the Burns Lake RCMP attended a residence in the 200 block of Fifth Avenue in Burns Lake after receiving a report of potential foul play and found three people dead inside.
Gillespie concluded his presentation by describing the large amount of turnover happening to the local detachment in the next couple months. He explained that four constable positions will need to be filled as a number of officers are going on leave or transferring out of town.
“It’s just the point in the cycle where we have the bulk of our members completing their four year requirement and transferring out unfortunately,” explained Gillespie. “We are currently engaging with staff to identify replacements for these members as soon as possible.”
