Vernon RCMP detachment
(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)
May 26, 2015 - 7:31 PM
VERNON - Checkstops and impaired driving investigations took a hit over the last few months as police struggled to handle a heavy criminal caseload.
In a presentation to Vernon city council Monday, May 25, acting RCMP Supt. Jim McNamara said enforcement initiatives were negatively affected by continued resource-draining serious crime incidents and high calls for service over the last few months.
“Our ability to be consistent with proactive enforcement activities remains somewhat diminished as demands continue to tax human resources,” McNamara said.
As a result, checkstops were down 35 per cent and impaired driving investigations dropped by almost 20 per cent.
Police have been working on a number of ongoing serious crime files, such as an August 2014 shooting in Polson Park, a rash of arsons, and several drug-related investigations. Overall, criminal code cases are up nearly 10 per cent. In particular property crime jumped almost eight per cent in the last several months.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015