Cranbrook city council got an update on Cranbrook RCMP operations, community initiatives and first-quarter statistics during a presentation at city hall on Monday, April 22.
Following the launch of the BC RCMP Auxiliary Program, S/Sgt. Barry Graham said the detachment is currently recruiting interested volunteers, who will receive training to perform a variety of activities that enhance community policing and crime prevention initiatives as a designated peace officer.
Once trained, Auxiliary Program volunteers will work alongside Cranbrook RCMP members to provide greater community visibility and support crime reduction education & initiatives.
Cranbrook RCMP also met recently with the city’s bylaw department and representatives from the business community, the first of what are planned regular business engagement meetings, that will encourage open dialogue across the business community with the RCMP and help identify issues and develop effective responses to public safety issues such as crime, social disorder and fear of crime.
“Increased visibility in the community through proactive patrols, community events and joint patrols with Bylaw, as well as delivering crime reduction and prevention initiatives through our community policing section is one of our top priorities in 2024,” said Staff Sergeant Barry Graham, Detachment Commander of the Cranbrook RCMP, in a news release. “The feedback we receive through the Business Engagement Meetings as well as the assistance of our future Auxiliary Program volunteers are the first of many steps in achieving this priority.”
Cranbrook Mayor Wayne Price agreed.
“The more eyes and ears we have engaged in the City, the more effective our policing becomes,” says Mayor Wayne Price. “I believe that the community is starting to understand that we all have a role to play in our community’s safety and well-being.”
During the same council meeting, S/Sgt. Graham also presented the first quarter crime statistics.
Cranbrook RCMP members responded to 2,099 calls for service in the first three months of 2024, which also included 30 joint patrols with city bylaw staff.
Police submitted 54 reports to crown counsel recommending charges, while charges were approved in 48 files.
In terms of offence metrics, there were significant increases in motor vehicle accidents (105) and mischief (147) files over the previous quarter.
With a smaller sample size, commercial break and enters were up, while residential break and enters were only down by two cases. In one night in February, police responded to two break and enters at commercial properties, arresting suspects at both locations.
Sexual offences doubled to 16, however, S/Sgt. Graham noted that some files involved historic offences committed in the past that were reported to police within the last quarter.
S/Sgt. Graham also reported that members conducted 27 proactive patrols to hot spot locations identified through crime trends and reports to police, along with 22 curfew checks and 16 bar-walk patrols in the downtown this quarter.