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(KIM ANDERSON / iNFOnews.ca)
April 30, 2019 - 7:00 PM
KELOWNA - After lashing out at the City of Kelowna’s response to crime issues earlier this month, Chamber of Commerce president Nikki Csek was full of praise for their efforts today, April 30.
Csek discussed the latest crime statistics with chamber directors today. They showed an increase of about 10 per cent in property crimes in 2018 over the previous year.
“We’re not surprised at the fact the stats have all increased,” she told iNFOnews.ca. “Cities all over are facing a lot of these similar trends so we weren’t surprised when we saw that.”
Earlier this month, the chamber criticized the city for not embracing a key recommendation from former RCMP Supt. Bill McKinnon. His report on crime reduction efforts included a call to create a committee to tackle the issue.
But following current RCMP Supt. Brent Mundle’s report to council yesterday, the tone was different.
“Last year, we know, they added additional RCMP and additional bylaw (officer)s, so we think there is certainly work being done to try to help with the commercial centre areas and, certainly, the downtown,” she said.
She added that new initiatives that Mundle outlined yesterday, like getting an electric cart to patrol parks, a mobile command centre and dedicated foot patrols, were all positive signs.
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