‘A marked improvement’: RCMP downtown policing pilot seeing success

Nov 13, 2019 | 6:00 AM

An 11-day downtown policing pilot that brought four more officers to the downtown core appears to be having some success.

The pilot initiative took off from October 15 to 25, 2019 and focused on open drug use, sleeping on private property, trespassing, loitering, panhandling and prostitution.

During the two-week period, 106 files were created. Those included 15 outstanding warrants that were executed, 12 criminal charges that were submitted, 36 street checks and 43 violation tickets.

Another 30 people were dealt with by police because of open drug use and 40 files during that time period related to trespassing.

Officers on duty worked nine hour shifts each day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m.

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According to RCMP Supt. Shawna Baher, the additional officers on the streets led to a noticeable change in their crime statistics during the duration of the program.

Speaking to Vernon City Council Tuesday, Baher said an unintended consequence of the two-week program was a rapid drop in motor vehicle thefts in the downtown core.

“When we ran our two-week project we basically went from 40 theft from motor vehicles to 21, and if you look at the downtown area, we don’t really have any,” Baher said while displaying two different maps of the city that compared the amount of thefts from motor vehicles.

Baher said she was so impressed with the outcome of the pilot that she decided to continue on with the program for the time being.

“We are continuing on, at least until the call volume escalates, and we are putting an extra three members in the downtown core.”

The three officers will be joining an additional downtown enforcement unit member, and they will receive support from the city’s prolific offender unit.

by Tiffany Goodwein

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