Cpl. Jason Bayda prepares to tow a group of boaters who have run out of gas in this file photo from August 2013. The RCMP plans more boat patrols on Osoyoos Lake this summer. (Richard McGuire file photo)
Increased marine patrols on Osoyoos Lake and continuing the good working relationship with border patrol staff on various projects are two objectives for RCMP officers with the Osoyoos detachment in the summer of 2014, says detachment commander Sgt. Kevin Schur.
During a presentation to Town of Osoyoos council last week, Schur said officers with the local detachment will continue several programs that have proven successful in the past and have plans to step up certain programs, such as increasing the number of enforcement initiatives with its marine patrols and programs established with American and Canadian border services staff.
“The policing priorities we’re looking at for this year are very similar to what we worked on last year and they even fall back to what we started a couple of years ago,” said Schur. “They sort of all tie into one another.”
Senior administration with the national and provincial headquarters of the RCMP have established goals and priorities for 2014 and they will be pursued by local officers along with regional priorities from top officials in Kelowna and Penticton, he said.
On a more local level, officers with the Osoyoos detachment will continue to pursue “prolific offenders” who cause trouble in town, said Schur.
The solid working relationship with the town’s bylaw department will continue and expulsion letters used the past two years to keep offenders who insist on drinking alcohol or smoking marijuana in public places within town limits will continue, he said.
“The expulsion letters have proven very effective … and will continue,” he said.
Enhanced enforcement initiatives, where a large group of officers work together in a collective effort to track down suspects for unsolved crimes, will also continue, he said.
After a rash of thefts in Osoyoos over several weeks, an enforced enhancement initiative took place recently where several officers worked around-the-clock over two days, resulted in numerous arrests, he said.
The local detachment remains committed to increasing officer visibility now that the warm weather has arrived and a large influx of tourists have started coming to town, said Schur.
“We want to have our officers out on the beaches and in the parks,” he said.
The local detachment’s Drug Abuse Reduction Awareness (DARE) program has proven successful over the past couple of years and will continue, said Schur.
Regular traffic spotchecks will continue in town, especially over long weekends during the holiday season, in the continued effort to catch drivers who insist on drinking and driving, he said.
The local detachment has applied for provincial funding to be able to bring in extra officers to conduct marine patrols as two officers are needed for any marine patrol on Osoyoos Lake and he’s confident that funding will become available, he said.
“Our police boat is a big part of our traffic initiative,” he said.
The local detachment has a “very good relationship with border patrol services” and local officers will continue to be involved in programs and initiatives aimed at controlling the amount of contraband entering Canada at the local border, he said.
“We were involved in a lot of patrols along the border last year … and we will be doing that again this year,” he said.
Schur said he has also applied for extra funding to bring in additional officers to handle the massive crowds that flock to Osoyoos for the July 1 Canada Day celebrations and he also expects good news from his superiors on that matter as well.
Mayor Stu Wells said he’s pleased officers from the local detachment are involved in so many pro-active initiatives and he applauded Schur and his officers for doing a great job over the past year.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
