Penticton RCMP announced the formation of a new unit designed to help vulnerable victims of sensitive crime earlier this week.

(STEVE ARSTAD / iNFOnews.ca)

PENTICTON - Penticton RCMP are stepping up service to victims of crimes of a sensitive nature with the creation of a new special victims unit.

The detachment announced the new unit earlier this week. The two-man team is dedicated to helping those most vulnerable, specifically women and children who are victims of violence or abuse.

These offences may include internet exploitation, high-risk domestic violence, and serious sexual assault, including those involving children.

Penticton RCMP media liaison officer Const. James Grandy says the department has always investigated these types of incidents but due to the complexity and high risk involved in such crimes, it was preferable to have a dedicated team whose sole purpose would be to see these types of investigations through.

Detachment commander Supt. Ted De Jager says the department was looking into eight child pornography files, some of which were “hardcore stuff” earlier this year.

“The number of child pornography files we investigate is disproportionate to the size of the community. That should be concerning,” he says. He doesn’t know why child porn cases are so prevalent.

The new unit will also deal with issues stemming from sensitive cases such as intimate partner violence, offences affecting children such as sexual abuse and child neglect, and people with a specific vulnerability.

De Jager says Penticton’s domestic violence stats are a concern, calling them “a noticeable component of our crime stats.”

He says the two officers assigned to the unit have specific expertise and a passion for assisting the vulnerable.

The unit will provide more scrutiny to these types of investigations in addition to devoting more time and focus on the vulnerable victim, who could be anyone from a child to an 80-year-old victim.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.

News from © iNFOnews, 2019