Nearly 20 new RCMP officers based in Kelowna

Kelowna will have 20 new RCMP officers on the streets in the next three months.

This information was included in the second and third quarter 2022 reports and was presented to the City Council on November 28 by Superintendent Kara Triance. She said 43 new officers had already been added so far this year, bringing the current number of detachments to 222.

Triance also told the council that it wants to reduce the work of its officers so they have more time to focus on priority service calls.

“To better serve the community and make sure the RCMP is the best agency to respond,” said Kara Triance, who is in charge of the Kelowna detachment.

Triance noted a 72% increase in overdose service calls during the reporting period. She said other calls like health checks and people in crisis could be better handled by medical professionals.

“If you call 911, they will ask if you need police, fire, or an ambulance.

Triance said he expects information may come from Interior Health in a joint-respondent model that includes executives and medical professionals following recent announcements from state governments. Triance added that work is being done on evaluating the service her call will be sent to the response operator.

“Every time we get a call for service from a police officer, we may be able to free up our office to respond to criminal calls.”

The report also notes that nearly 92% of robberies (theft involving violence or threats) increased by 33. This trend was also seen in the prefecture. Overall, the city is trending downward in violent crime against people, while state reports show an upward trend in this same category.

Other stats for Q2 and Q3 2022:

• Domestic violence cases declined in the second quarter (-19%) and third quarter (-34%).
• Compared to the same timeframe in 2021, break and enter (business) increased 38% in Q2 and 35% in Q3.
• Shoplifting is down 18% overall in 2022, and fraud is down since August.
• Bike theft increased 85% and 41% in Q2 and Q3.

Triance then answered a question from the council about high-value offenders, noting that 80% of property crimes are committed by 20% of repeat offenders.

“The Kelowna RCMP remains committed to reducing property crime in our community,” she said. “All crimes, no matter how minor, must be reported to the RCMP.”

---

@Gary Barnes109
gary.barnes@kelownacapnews.com
Like and follow us on Facebook twitter Subscribe to our daily and subscribe to our daily newsletter.

City Council Kelowna City Crime RCMP