By Corey Fischer

Crime Slowdown In Vernon To End 2017

Feb 7, 2018 | 7:43 AM

Crime was on the decline in the final quarter of 2017 in the North Okanagan.

RCMP Superintendent Jim McNamara says the October to December period was busy as officers worked hard to achieve a 22% decrease in criminal code offences, and a 30% decrease in property crime.

Stats for Vernon show 14 residential B and E’s over the three months, compared to 58 the year before.

McNamara says more road checks were held which might account for a 279 percent increase in impaired driving in Vernon in the fourth quarter.

There were 43 cases over the three months compared to 12 the previous year.

Missing For Four Days

Missing boater found deceased in Mara Lake

6h ago

Hole in One

Charity golf tournament raised $47K for local groups

10h ago

Election 2026

Teresa Durning seeking reelection with Stronger Vernon campaign

10h ago

The following are a few highlights from the report.

TARGETED POLICING:
Targeted Policing provided assistance to a number of General Duty, Serious Crimes and Provincial GIS
investigations. In an effort to continue working closely with partner agencies and stakeholders, the
Targeted Policing Unit met regularly with numerous partner agencies including:

• Interagency meetings which are held monthly between RCMP, Parole, Adult and Youth
Probation, and Ministry of Children and Families to discuss the status, activities, monitoring and
enforcement of persons deemed a high risk to reoffend. Our police officers also attend a similar
meeting hosted in Salmon Arm as offenders in Enderby area fall under supervision of Salmon
Arm Justice system;

• Outreach meetings which are held weekly between RCMP, Probation, Ministry of Housing and
Social Development, Interior Health, Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH), ACSS Team, Mental Health
and Addictions, and Mental Health Forensic Services to discuss the status and risk factors related
to persons in the community who suffer from mental illness, and are currently in the Justice
System, or have a likelihood to be in the Justice System in the future;

• Mentally Disordered Offenders meetings which are held quarterly between RCMP, Crown
Counsel, Forensic Psychiatric Services, Probation, VJH and Interior Health to discuss the status
and risk factors related to high risk offenders with a mental disorder.

Task Force (TF):
• In December, Task Force police officers investigated a dial-a-dope drug trafficking operation
which resulted in the arrest of the accused. The subsequent search of a vehicle located a
quantity of cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl packaged for street level sale.
Crime Reduction Unit (Downtown Enforcement Unit & Prolific Offenders):
• Prolific Offenders: There are 23 prolific offenders identified for monitoring in our area. Of those,
there are currently 11 in custody and 12 not in custody.

• The Prolific Offender Unit reopened a break and enter investigation. Through DNA evidence, a
prolific offender was arrested and is currently in custody .
• The Crime Reduction Unit assumed conduct of the investigation of a series of armed robberies in
Vernon which resulted in the arrest of a male who remains in custody.
• The Downtown Enforcement Unit interacted with many individuals at the street level and
executed warrants of arrest, as well as submitted charges for breach of court conditions which
included breach of curfew.

Provincial Tactical Enforcement Priority (PTEP):
Targeted Policing continues to participate in the policing priority of identifying, profiling, selecting and
targeting individuals and/or groups involved in criminal activity and, because of their association to
gangs/organized crime, pose a safety risk to the community. With prior enforcement action and
relocation of certain targets, there were five (down from nine) such persons/groups identified from the
Vernon North Okanagan area.

• Targeted Policing conducted a lengthy investigation of a drug trafficking group, believed to be
operated by a PTEP Target, which resulted in the arrest of two persons associated to the group
and the seizure of cocaine, methamphetamine and a heroin/fentanyl mix packaged for street level
sale. As well, a third person associated to the group was arrested and search
warrants were executed at residences in the Okanagan, resulting in the seizure of bulk quantities
of cocaine, methamphetamine, and a heroin/fentanyl mix packaged for street level sale from a
residence in Lake Country. Drug trafficking paraphernalia and a quantity of cash was seized from
a residence in Kelowna

by Corey Fischer