It was a busy year for Prince George RCMP over the last 12 months, responding to more than 43,000 files.
At 43,924 for 2018, the RCMP’s file count jumped slightly above 2017’s 42,967 files. These numbers include calls for service as well as proactive policing efforts.
(via Prince George RCMP)During his presentation, Brown attributed the jump in the numbers to nuisance files or non-criminal charges.
“Anecdotally we have been fully staffed this past year and many of those instances are self-generated or proactively sought,” said Brown.
He also pointed out the prisoner count has dropped significantly over the last four years.
“We are trying to be as efficient as we can with our resources and we are not trying to arrest our way out of social issues, so we have a decrease in our prisoner count over the last couple years including last year,” said Brown.
Brown’s report not only gave the yearly stats, but also outlined some successes and challenges facing policing in the city.
Greyhound departure
Brown said that the Prince George RCMP are seeing an increase in the number of people committing criminal offences, specific to property and homelessness, who don’t typically reside in Prince George.
“Some of that might be attributed to the fact that we don’t have a Greyhound Bus Service here anymore,” said Brown, adding that when people from other communities come to the Prince George Regional Correctional Centre, sometimes there is no way for them to get home.
“So when these individuals get out of jail there is no way to get home, there is no job, no money, and they find themselves downtown often wayward without a place to go and that can sometimes lead to other criminal offences,” said Brown.
During the question portion of his presentation, Mayor Lyn Hall asked if there was any way to get those individuals back to their home communities.
“These are conversations that we have during the day, during the night – things that keep us awake at night,” responded Brown, who noted the RCMP have limited options.
Coun. Murry Krause also remarked that smaller communities in the region often don’t have the same resources that are available in Prince George.
“It’s incumbent for us to advocate to put some of those services in smaller communities because that is a driver around seeing people stay,” added Krause.
Downtown crime
(via Prince George RCMP)Brown also went over statistics related specifically to downtown Prince George and the work of the Downtown Safety Unit (DSU).
He said the most prevalent cause for police attention downtown is disturbances.
“I noted earlier that our mischiefs have gone down city-wide, but they have increased downtown,” said Brown.
“We have dedicated units working 24/7 downtown now, so those are services not used elsewhere but given the volume and over-represented crime we have downtown it is just a necessary policing.”
Opioid crisis
Brown also noted that the DSU partners with agencies like Northern Health to ensure that those who are high risk are given the appropriate oversight and supports.
When asked specifically about the opioid crisis in Prince George by Coun. Terri McConnachie, Brown responded saying “It’s a crisis in our community. It’s a challenge for policing.”
He said a problem with opioid addiction is the crime that surrounds it.
“Anecdotally, I will throw a number out there of $500 a day is what an average opioid user may require and often times these people are not employed and they have to rely on crime.”
He said the use of police resources is necessary “until we can find better care and treatment for these individuals.”
Highlights
Some of the highlights or successes Brown noted during his presentation included the 18th RCMP Youth Academy, the Cops for Cancer annual bike ride and the success of the Indigenous Court which celebrated its grand opening in March 2018.
“The morale here is at an all-time high, we are firing a lot of pistons internally, yet we continue to face crisis in the community and increased calls for service,” said Brown. “In that regard, I had anticipated we would see a positive effect on crime stats this year, but it wasn’t to the degree that I had hoped. However, I will sharpen my pencil and we will be ready for another round this year.”
You can review the RCMP Year in Review report in its entirety for more information.
