The RCMP crack down whenever the Town of Oliver’s peacefulness is disrupted by the occasional crime, as detailed in their quarterly crime stats. Thankfully, the numbers are shifting in favourable directions.
In the third quarter of the year, RCMP reported 1,002 calls for service, down from 1,079 during the same period last year – a decrease of 7.1 per cent. During the same quarter, there was a 19 per cent decrease in criminal code files, down to 201 this year from 248 in 2015.
In dealing with the issue of mail theft in the South Okanagan, the local RCMP worked with a special investigator from Canada Post to stick a man with five charges, including possession of stolen mail, mischief and theft.
“In October 2016 the Oliver detachment executed a search warrant for stolen mail in a problem residence in the community,” the RCMP says.
Then in November, the Oliver RCMP partnered with the Penticton Target Enforcement team to raid a rural property outside of town to recover several high value stolen items. The goods included a stolen vehicle and trailer from Penticton and a stolen trailer from Princeton with three ATVs inside.
The raid was coordinated by the Prolific Offender Management (POM) program. A small number of culprits tend to be responsible for a disproportionately large amount of crime, referred to by the RCMP as prolific offenders.
The POM exists for detachments from any community and other relevant organizations to allow inter-agency collaboration.
“Consistent monitoring of these persons while bound by conditions is key to this program. It is well known that prolific or chronic offenders have no boundaries, and they are often committing crime in multiple communities. These situations lend themselves to collaborative approaches amongst the South Okanagan detachments and units, which allows not only the pooling of resources when required but also the pooling of intelligence to assist in successful enforcement.”
Last spring, an incident involving two students at one of the schools in the district resulted in criminal charges. Through the RCMP’s community programming, a restorative justice session was planned in September to facilitate the students in doing the right thing.
All throughout the South Okanagan, excluding Penticton, there was a 16 per cent decrease in property crime overall.
Even after the summer months, all detachments continue to be visible throughout each community, especially areas of high crime.
“This is primarily checking persons who are on foot, particularly in the evenings when there is less general foot traffic,” said the RCMP. “This is most successful in communities that have a dense downtown or residential core. In less dense communities, members are more likely to engage in patrols by vehicle or making vehicle stops.”
Patrols have doubled in most rural communities, according to the RCMP crime analyst, and all detachments are increasing their number of street checks.
While it’s important for the RCMP to remain visible for potential offenders, “This proactive measure is also an opportunity for our members to have positive engagement with the public.”
By Dan Walton
