Corporal Mike Gallagher, Keremeos detachment commander, presented the RCMP third quarter report to Keremeos council at the Monday, December 19 regular meeting of council.
During the third quarter, RCMP responded to 469 calls for service compared with 455 calls during the 2010 third quarter.
Assaults were the major category to increase, with over twice the number of incidents reported between July and September of 2011 than for the first two quarters of the year combined. The steep jump in assaults was considered unusual, but none of the suspects or locations were carded more than twice, and the majority of assaults in the third quarter were the result of domestic disturbances or assaults between associates.
Auto theft also increased substantially, with 11 vehicles having been reported stolen in the detachment area during the quarter. A large number of these were off road vehicles.
On August 4 an 18 year old male was arrested in connection with the thefts and attempted thefts of three vehicles from Coulthard Road in Cawston. Charges are pending.
Fifteen break ins were reported, 10 of these being business B and E’s. The Keremeos pool was entered on several occassions during July and August with minor damage reported.
Cause disturbance reports were higher as a result of a chronic nuisance offender who has been carded with approximately 18 per cent of Keremeos disturbance files since the beginning of 2011
Keremeos RCMP investigated six founded drug offenses, three of which were related to CDSA trafficking.
Between July and September of 2011 Keremeos RCMP issued four 90 day immediate roadside suspensions (IRPs), one three day IRP and two 24 hour suspensions.
The Keremeos detachment participated in such local communitiy events as Canada Day, BC Day, Kars Under the K and the Sizzlefest. The Citizens on Patrol (COP) program continues to be active, with a good working relationship with the detachment.
The Keremeos RCMP detachment is currently investigating the possibility of implementing the CPEC (Community Prevention Education Continuum) program. CPEC is designed as a sustainable community led, police assisted, comprehensive youth drug prevention strategy. It is a continuum of prevention education, building positive factors and encompassing youth from kindergarten through to grade 12. The DARE program is a cornerstone of CPEC and the Keremeos detachment continues to use DARE as a means of connecting with local youth.
The detachment also stays in regular contact with youth probation and is aware of youth in the community who may be on conditions. Detachment members perform regular curfew checks on these youths to ensure compliance. The regional restorative justice coordinator continues to provide support for restorative justice in Keremeos with one file referred from the school district this quarter and one file referred from the detachment.
Crime Stoppers received three tips relating to events in Keremeos.