The biggest drug bust in Prince George history happened last year on Aug. 21 and the large amounts of cash and drugs in that seizure confirmed to police that organized crime and gang activity is not confined to the Lower Mainland.
It’s a provincial problem that has spread to Prince George, says RCMP Spt. Darin Rappel, who in October took over the reins from retired superintendent Shaun Wright as the city’s commanding RCMP officer.
While investigating a break-and-enter report at a residence in the 4400 block of Fifth Ave., RCMP noticed a large quantity of illegal cigarettes and a subsequent search warrant resulted in the seizure of 40 kilograms of drugs, including fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, 11 kg of cannabis and 11 kg of a cutting agent, 120,000 counterfeit cigarettes and more than $500,000 in cash.
“It demonstrated specifically to us the scope of the issue here,” said Rappel. “Prince George is a hub area. Forty kilograms of hard drugs is a significant amount and it just demonstrates that there’s a capacity to have that kind of drug quantity up here.”
In April, the province recriminalized hard drug use in public places. Until then, adult drug users could use substances in front of stores, businesses, public buildings, parks and even schoolyards - protections provided by a pilot program introduced in January 2023 which allows users in B.C. to carry up to 2.5 grams of hard drugs for personal use without facing criminal charges.
As a result of the rollback in decriminalization, the number of drug investigations jumped from 153 in 2023 to 212 as of Dec. 18 (up 39 per cent). Rappel said that’s also a reflection of the work police officers, especially those in specialized sections, to enforce the new law, which gives police the right to arrest people using hard drugs in stores, hospitals, restaurants or any other public place.
“We recognized some of the difficulties it was causing for us from an enforcement perspective and that maybe some of the hoped-for benefits (reduced opioid overdoses) were not being realized,” said Rappel. “Those were discussions that were happening in the province and certainly BC Association of Chiefs of Police recently came out not endorsing that decriminalization any more.
“Right now if you are at a safe injection site or if you’re in your own residence or in a tent encampment you’re still permitted to use it, but what it does do is give us the tools back as officers to deal with some of the public disorder issues that were concurrent with drug use.”
Prince George police continue to make seizures of safer supply drugs prescribed to drug users as an alternate to fentanyl and other opioids. Rappel said that is a regular occurrence.
“We do still see the diversion of safe supply,” he said. “You would see drug trafficking of fentanyl or methamphetamines (and) the transaction of safe supply drugs is part and parcel with those criminal acts, also with the selling and reselling of illegal cigarettes and stolen property.
“People will certainly be approached to go in take their prescriptions and obtain safe supply in trade for drugs. Our arrests are still in regard to trafficking, it is not a possession thing we’re looking at and hasn’t been for a very long time. These are individuals that prey upon the marginalized people that are in a health crisis.
“They have addictions and are making efforts in some cases to obtain safe supply to perhaps make a better choice in that regard. But when you have an individual who’s there waiting to trade you fentanyl for your safe supply … that’s the choice they’re going to make.”
Rappel is looking forward to the end of the Lower Patricia Boulevard encampment after 2 ½ years as a trouble spot for local police, firefighters and paramedics.
Pending a future court date to show the city, working with provincial government and social agencies, has done its part to provide the remaining encampment residents temporary housing in the new Third Avenue facility adjacent to the camp or at one of the other BC Housing projects already in operation in the city, that court ruling is all that stands in the way of the city permanently closing Moccasin Flats campsite.
Property crime is down in Prince George particularly in auto theft (down about 20 per cent 219 reports as of Dec. 18) and theft from vehicle incidents (down 30 per cent, 661 incidents as of Dec. 18).
The RCMP continues to operate the Downtown Safety Unit with one shift daily tasked with targeting drug trafficking, property crime and prolific offenders to make the community safer. Members focus on the downtown area with regular foot patrols looking for people involved in the drug trade and for individuals wanted for offences. They continue to make arrests, but Rappel admits it is difficult to keep repeat offenders locked up due to the difficulty of obtaining criminal charges from Crown prosecutors.
It can take months to obtain forensic results on firearms and drugs seized by police and until they have those test results are in police hands the perpetrators are free on bail to commit more crimes, which they often do.
“Frankly, it’s not working well in regard to individuals that repeatedly commit crimes in regard to theft and violence and drug use – it is frustrating for members to go out week-in and week-out to deal with these individuals again and again,” said Rappel.
“It’s hard to get charges, hard to get suitable sentences and the addiction crisis continues, so individuals still have a desperate need for drugs and they need to fuel that habit, which includes theft and other crime.
“On top of that these people suffering these health concerns and the concurrent mental health issues results in all manner of social disorder, which can be anything from defecation in streets to broken windows to jaywalking in such dangerous fashions to nearly getting hurt or run over.”
Expect to see more RCMP officers in 2025 conducting downtown patrols on bicycles. This year the Prince George detachment has four electric bikes and more officers will have that tool to catch criminals.
“It’s a great way to approach people involved in crime, they don’t expect you to show up on a bicycle, it’s very stealthy,” said Rappel.
The RCMP had success catching shoplifters in “boost and bust” operations, working with loss-prevention officers in large retail stores and supermarkets. Using video surveillance and plainclothes observation, store detectives would identify the culprits to police, who were there to make arrests once they leave the store.
“One of the things we’ve noticed is we can continue to do it week-in and week-out and still hit those big numbers, the deterrence is probably not there,” said Rappel. “We arrest the same individuals from one boost and bust to the next, so they know we’re there, but they don’t seem to have any issue with taking their chances and committing it again.”
City council at its Dec. 16 approved spending $40,000 on security cameras to be set up in strategic sites downtown to try to reduce incidents of vandalism, theft and harassment of downtown visitors in public places and Rappel predicts it will help lead to prosecutions. He’s spoken to his RCMP counterparts In Penticton who have used footage from video surveillance of downtown streets to identify perpetrators.
“Any time there is quality video surveillance that captures a criminal offence it will provide additional good evidence to prosecution,” he said.
On Dec. 8, Prince George became one of the first BC cities whose police service members use body-worn cameras. The intent of the program is to show how officers interact with the public and demonstrate to the court their conduct when arrests are made.
