Pubdate: Fri, 18 Mar 2016
Source: Alaska Highway News (CN BC)
Copyright: 2016 Glacier Interactive Media
Contact:  http://www.alaskahighwaynews.ca/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/716
Author: Mike Carter

DAWSON CREEK RCMP CATCHING 'A BREATHER,' TOP COP SAYS

Last February, the City of Dawson Creek was in the grips of a nasty
"drug war" that made headlines across B.C. after a man was abducted,
shot and left for dead.

City police went on to field 690 calls for service that month, one of
the busiest months in recent memory.

Now, a monthly report that will appear before city councillors March
21 shows those numbers are down, partly because of a slowdown in drug
activity.  The detachment registered 585 calls this past February.

"It gives us a chance to catch a breather," Staff Sgt. Marcel
Guilbault, the detachment commander, told Alaska Highway News. "We're
still trying to catch up from last year."

A lot of the cases from the spike in crime that took place a year ago
are now heading to court, he said, leaving officers busy providing
items to Crown prosecutors to build cases.

"There were some serious ones," he said. "There was a rash of
shootings, a rash of break-ins and firearms were taken.

"It's still here. It's still prevalent," he said of the ongoing battle
for control of the drug trade in the Peace Region.

"We have (officers) keeping an eye on (it). It's manageable right now.
We're working on a few projects. I just want to keep the pressure on.
Keep a lid on things."

Theft, mischief and motor vehicle accidents once again led the way in
February in calls for service.

Guilbault said the mild winter has helped curb the number of car
accidents on highways surrounding the city.

Drug crimes are still percolating in the background, he said, but are
not as common as in recent months.

Cocaine and fentanyl are the drugs police come in contact with the
most, he said. Marijuana, not so much.

"There is the odd (marijuana charge)," he said. "But it's mostly
cocaine, crack cocaine and now we're seeing more and more fentanyl."

Marijuana's pending legal status, a campaign pledge of the federal
Liberal government, does not change the fact that the drug remains
illegal, Guilbault said, adding officers will still make arrests for
possession of the drug "until we're told otherwise."

"Our job is just to bring the evidence into courts and what the Crown
decides to do with it is up to them," he added.

FALSE ALARMS DOWN, MENTAL HEALTH CALLS BEING TRACKED

The number of false alarms police in the city have responded to has
dropped by about half, from 44 in February 2015 to 28 in February 2016.

This is largely due to educating businesses about why false alarms
happen, he said.

"It's all about adjusting the sensors (for alarm equipment),"
Guilbault said. "Somebody could go and bang on the window and it will
come on the system as a glass break when in fact, the glass was still
intact."

Police developed a pamphlet explaining to businesses what they can do
to prevent both robberies and false alarms.

Dawson Creek Mounties continue to spend significant amounts of time
assisting people in mental distress.  The detachment has started
keeping track of man hours spent on mental health calls, Guilbault
says.

Once police apprehend someone who is deemed a danger to themselves or
others because of mental health reasons, they are required by law to
stay with them until they can be assessed by a qualified doctor.

"It could be six or eight hours," he said. "It varies. But, it takes
that officer off the street which reduces our ability to respond to
emergencies."

STAFFING PROBLEMS PERSIST

In April, one unit, the General Investigations Section, will be losing
two of its four members. It won't be back to full staff for about six
months.

"It's a process," Guilbault said.

For the time in between, the unit will operate with a lot of overtime
for its members.

"I don't think we have much of an option," Guilbault said. "If it's
serious enough, like a homicide for example, I'll have to draw from
(general watch) to compensate, which causes another issue in itself.
But, we'll just cross our fingers and hope nothing happens."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Matt