Written by FRANK PEEBLES
Citizen staff
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Monday, 21 July 2008 |
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"Ninety-nine persons were placed into cells, most being disturbance or alcohol related," said Quesnel RCMP Staff Sgt. Gary Clark-Marlow. "That is not a normal weekend, no. We typically run about 110 a month."
Somehow, within all that public intoxication, the peace was generally maintained and that has become the norm for Billy Baker Days, Clark-Marlow said. These Cariboo cultural celebrations have been going on for 35 years and in years gone by were infamous for wild behaviour by partiers.
"The last several years the Billy Barker Days has developed more into a family event and generally speaking we are having fewer needs for large police resources. We had nothing serious last year as well. I think the organizers do a very good job and most people come to Billy Barker Days now already with the mindset that it is a family-orientated thing. We will always have the riffraff that keep us employed but mostly it is pretty smooth."
Mounties did arrest six impaired drivers, plus issued five roadside suspensions for suspicion of impairment. There were three stolen vehicles files, all believed to be related. The entire weekend generated a total of 301 calls for police service.
Clark-Marlow said they went into the Billy Barker Days event prepared for a big workload.
"When you have more RCMP members out there, you self-generate a lot of this," he said. "And we are also able to respond quicker when we get calls so it aids us in getting more arrests."
Quesnel also got help from the North and South Cariboo RCMP Traffic Units, the Prince George Dog Section, and many Community Policing volunteers from their Auxiliary Constable corps and their Citizens On Patrol group.
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 September 2008 )
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