Image Credit: InfoTel Multimedia
(JESSICA WALLACE / iNFOnews.ca)
February 26, 2013 - 4:35 PM
A committee meeting with RCMP members yesterday revealed several initiatives topping cop priorities as of late.
Social chronic offenders, pedestrian safety and false 911 calls took priority among city officials and RCMP who attended the meeting at City Hall Monday morning.
A program rolled out late last year aims at curing societal problems not symptoms.
The social chronic offender program that began six months ago targets those who chronically use emergency services for addiction or other issues. The program identifies those who need police, paramedic and hospital services regularly and aims at offering them services to resolve deeper issues. Those identified meet with an RCMP official and discuss personal issues that may potentially drain resources. RCMP reported mixed success over the program in it's early stages but remain optimistic about future impact.
Police are taking additional preventative measures to prevent a major issue that has arisen on Kamloops roads.
In response to multiple pedestrian accidents, some resulting in fatalities, RCMP are cracking down on drivers to ensure pedestrian safety. Plain-clothed police officers are posing as pedestrians at intersections throughout Kamloops to crack down on drivers who ignore crosswalk flashers, stopped vehicles or other indicators of a pedestrian right of way. Summitt Drive and MCGill Road as well as Fortune Drive and Tranquille Road are two local intersections raising issues and are high on RCMP radar.
RCMP are working with the city in addressing problem intersections that need lighting improvements or crosswalk flasher lights.
While RCMP are busy facing these real issues throughout the city, they are concerned about wasting time on other issues. RCMP told the City's police committee that false 911 calls to Kamloops RCMP have jumped significantly, nearly 700 per cent in five years. These calls aren't taken lightly, and RCMP dilligently follow up every call regardless of whether a caller hung up or not. They are often faced with tracking down callers and verifying calls through cell phone providers.
RCMP are working with cell phone companies to find a resolution to this problem.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013