Pubdate: Thu, 06 Apr 2006
Source: Creston Valley Advance (CN BC)
Copyright: 2006 Sterling Newspapers Ltd.
Contact:  http://www.crestonvalley.com/advance/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1413
Author: Lorne Eckersley
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

RCMP REVEALS PLANS FOR 2006

A relatively young detachment will focus on drug, youth, aboriginal 
and community involvement issues this year, RCMP Sgt. Mark Fisher 
told Creston town council on Monday.

Fisher presented his 2006 strategic plan to a council committee 
meeting and also gave a statistical summary of recent policing trends 
in the Creston Valley and Kootenay Lake 's East Shore .

"It's a given that most police services in this province have limited 
resources at their disposal to deliver the police services for which 
they are contracted," he said in a prepared statement. "Creston 
detachment is no exception."

Fisher said fully half of his constable deployment has under two 
years of experience and that he is focusing on training opportunities 
that partner with other community agencies. An extra constable was 
added last year because Creston has one of the busiest detachments in 
the Kootenays "when calls for service per member and case burden are 
considered," he said.

Evidence of a busy detachment is borne out by statistics, he said in 
a Tuesday interview.

*Drug charges increased by 100 per cent over 2004

*Commercial break and entries were unchanged

*Shoplifting incidents were down by 39 per cent

*Cocaine possession investigations jumped by 225 per cent

*Motor vehicle accidents in-creased by 20 per cent

*Impaired driving prosecutions jumped by about 50 per cent

*Liquor act offensives dropped by nearly one third

*Seven drug search warrants were executed in 2005

*Assault investigations increased by 64 per cent

*Charges related to possession of weapons jumped dramatically

*Domestic violence is also on the increase

Fisher told town council that his plan for the coming year was 
created after consultation with community groups, local political 
bodies, schools and RCMP members.

"The information obtained in these consultations and our 
environmental scan allowed us to develop a set of priorities that 
will meet the needs of our community as well as the requirements on a 
district, divisional and national level," he said in his report.

Reduction of government services in past years is beginning to show 
longer-term effects, Fisher explained.

"These changes have resulted in an increased demand on the social 
service providers that have remained in the community. Counselling 
and support services that used to be available are no longer an 
option. The service providers that remain have noticed a drastic 
increase in the number of families affected by addictions to crack 
cocaine in the community. They advise that the lack of local support 
services is severely hampering their ability to address the issue. 
Our members are now dealing with much of the fallout from this issue 
and there is increased public pressure to address the issue of drug 
trafficking in the community."

Poverty, a temperate climate and close proximity to the U.S. border 
all serve as enticements for people to grow marijuana or traffic 
cocaine as a source of income, Fisher said.

The sergeant, now in his second year heading the Creston detachment, 
also addressed the perceived problems with youth.

"We have not noticed that it is any worse than any other community of 
the same size," he said, adding that the gathering of large groups of 
young people can be intimidating to an older population.

"In an effort to connect with local youth and to dispel some of the 
myths, the detachment members will continue to support and assist in 
the organization of activities to promote youth within the community. 
This initiative will break down some of the barriers and the closer 
contact between youth and police should decrease the level of youth 
crime that we do have."

He emphasized the need for local members to build reliable sources of 
information about drug-related and criminal activities. The public 
also plays a role, he said, adding that more than 150 booklets on how 
to report a drug house have been picked up at community presentations 
and local businesses. A number of the booklets have been turned in 
and used as tools for both intelligence and search warrant applications.

Fisher said he has assigned all members responsibilities, formal and 
informal, with youth and schools. In addition, he is committed to 
increasing connections with the Lower Kootenay Band and in continuing 
to enhance the community restorative justice program, which allows 
offenders and victims of non-violent crimes to work out restitution 
with the aid of trained volunteers.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman