One year after establishing a crime reduction unit for the Cariboo Chilcotin region, the RCMP are nabbing results.
Williams Lake RCMP Insp. Jeff Pelley said the unit has conducted 352 investigations to date and recommended 295 charges against multiple individuals.
“So far 195 charges were approved, with 23 charges pending and to date there have been 32 convictions — 52 are currently before the courts,” he said.
Given Williams Lake’s high crime rate and the RCMP’s capacity to focus on prolific offenders, the provincial government agreed to provide funding for six positions and the City of Williams Lake one, Pelley explained.
In May 2017, three officers were assigned to the unit and in October another three officers were added.
With a mandate to provide service throughout the Cariboo Chilcotin region, the unit focuses on prolific offenders, priority offenders and targeted offenders in line with enforcement strategies for high risk individuals that police say are responsible for a core group of crimes.
“Our number one priority for the detachment is to reduce and prevent the impacts of violent crimes,” Pelley said.
“We have a number of initiatives under that priority.”
The second priority is to reduce crime by working with community support groups and initiatives that address crime issues or calls for service that involve police.
A third priority is to reduce collisions and impaired driving, and to help with that goal, the City has funded a municipal traffic position that will be filled soon.
Stats show there have been reductions in the number of cases of assaults causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon, while the number of drug trafficking investigations are up substantially because the unit is proactively generating investigations and targeting individuals who are trafficking certain types of drugs throughout the region, Pelley said.
In April the RCMP arrested three low level, one mid-level and one higher level drug trafficker believed to be involved with a dial-a-dope operation. They also arrested individuals who may have made purchases from low level traffickers, he added.
Crime reduction unit officers work closely to monitor and engage with prolific offenders to meet with them and with other agencies in an effort to try and ensure they can shift toward becoming good citizens.
“There’s the enforcement aspect, but they also help identify programs and support services to help prolific offenders engage with rather than resort to a life of crime,” Pelley said.
Presently there are 14 prolific offenders on the list, which varies from individuals who get removed from the list, or if they end up in a lengthy incarceration as a result of a court conviction they will be removed.
Upon their release from prison, the RCMP will attempt to connect prolific offenders with support services to help them rebuild success for reintegration back into the community.
Insp. Pelley said they continue to provide outcomes and statistics of crime trends, comparing them to previous years by reporting monthly to the police commission and to city council.
The RCMP are continually developing enforcement strategies in an effort to reduce crime, and implementing education and prevention strategies, he added.
Stats for January to April 30, 2018 when comparing them to the same time period in 2017, theft of vehicles is down 32 per cent, break and enters to residences are down 74 per cent, break and enters to businesses are down 52 per cent, assault with a weapon causing bodily harm is down 30 per cent and commons assaults are down eight percent, he said.
Drug trafficking investigations are up more than 300 per cent due to proactive investigations self-generated by the crime reduction unit, Pelley said, noting he expects the rate to keep increasing before they drop.
Impaired driving offences are also on the increase, and the City has funded a municipal traffic position that will be filled shortly by an officer who will be moving over from another position.
Insp. Pelley said the one of the biggest challenges is to stay ahead of repeat offenders.
“There are some offenders who do some very violent crimes and we have to ensure they aren’t re-offending when they are released back into the public,” he said. “We work with our partners such as Community Corrections, Interior Health and Mental Health, or if there’s a homelessness component we work with our community safety manager.”
Looking at the root issues of mental health, addictions and homelessness is always a priority as well.
For Tuesday’s committee of the whole meeting on May 22, 2018, Pelley submitted the following police commission report to city council and staff outlining activities between Jan. 1 to April 30, 2018.
May 22 2018-D1 by WL Tribune on Scribd
