Prince George RCMP Supt. Warren Brown is remembering 2018 as a frustrating year in which the progress made on several fronts was offset by difficulty police have had in putting a dent on trouble in the city's downtown.
Speaking to city council on Monday night, Brown said staffing at the detachment reached a full complement, in contrast to past years when it has had trouble retaining members and replacing those who have moved on.
"Prince George used to be an undesirable place for police officers to come," Brown said. "They want to come here now. I would say the morale here is at an all-time high so we're firing on a lot of pistons internally."
Added to that has been more effective use of the Car 60 program in which an RCMP officer is paired with a nurse trained in mental health and substance use services to help people in crisis, more strategic use of resources downtown and the launch of the Indigenous court.
"But yet we continue to face crisis in the community, increased calls for service," Brown said. "Our social service providers downtown are telling us that they are confronting more violent people that they're having to help.
"In that regard I had really anticipated we would see a positive effect on crime stats this year and it certainly wasn't to the degree that I'd hoped, so that was my frustration.
"However, we'll sharpen our pencils and we will be ready for another round this year and hope to sit in front of you next year and tell you it wasn't a frustrating year."
Year-end statistics showed that while mischief-related offences were down city-wide, they were up in the downtown where RCMP responded to more than 600 calls for the offence, about 150 more than over 2017.
Trouble makers from out of town are a concern, according to Brown. He said Prince George Regional Correctional Centre houses a significant number of prisoners from elsewhere in northern B.C. who are serving time for offences committed in their home towns.
When they're released from jail, they often have no way to get back home and have no jobs, no money and no home. Some of the trouble may be due to the loss of the Greyhound bus service, Brown added.
Coun. Murry Krause countered that many choose to stay in Prince George because the social services are better here than in the communities they came from.
Brown also made reference to the rising prevalence of opioid use which he said has reached a crisis level with addicts committing crimes to feed what can be a $500 a day habit. In response, two members per watch are working the downtown.
"Given the volume and over-represented crime we have in the core area of downtown, it's just a necessary policing response," Brown said. "I wont' say it's a response we're going to have forever but it's certainly one we're going to have until we can find perhaps some better treatment and care for these individuals."
Mayor Lyn Hall said he's noticed a rise in the use of private security firms to keep an eye on things downtown and added other communities face the same problems.
He commended Brown for the work the RCMP has done.
"This is a great city and it's due in large part to what you and your team are doing on the streets, so thank you very much," Hall said.
