The two police officers tasked with leading the Prince George RCMP detachment have a combined service level of little more than a month in this city.
Although top cop Supt. Eric Stubbs and second in command Insp. Keith Redl don't have immediate answers in addressing last week's Statistics Canada ranking of Prince George as the 11th worst offender in the country, they're no strangers to commanding cities with high crime rates.
"I haven't been here long enough to develop a vision," said Redl. "I know about the gang influence, and we figure there is something we can do to have a positive effect on that. I'm looking forward to diving deeper into how the operations are running here."
Redl and Stubbs both personally know some of the suspects involved in local crime from their past police work in other centres.
"We are the capital of the North," said Stubbs. "We are the gateway for a lot of those communities around the North and people are attracted to the hub. Organized crime wants to set up in the areas they think they can make the most money. Based on the population of Prince George and what is offered here, it is an attractive place for gangs to make money."
Stubbs said the first thing he noticed about the Prince George crime profile was the amount and variety of firearms Mounties were uncovering.
This is a symptom of a strong organized crime influence, which is deeply connected to the drug trade, he said. It puts the public and the police in significant danger, so major clout against the gang industry is needed.
"I think we are having success, there," he said. "It is negative that all those guns are out there in circulation, but it is positive that we have been able to seize what we have. "
He said he's ready to act on past success laid by outgoing Supt. Brenda Butterworth-Carr and her predecessors, with a continued focus on prolific offenders, the city's downtown, and the VLA neighbourhood.
He pointed to addictions recovery, addictions prevention, mental health treatment, and housing for the homeless as non-police issue that need to also be improved if the streets are going to get any safer.
Stubbs also said there's always a need for more RCMP members, but that's not hindering enforcement efforts.
"Whenever you ask a police chief if more resources are needed, very few will say absolutely not," he said. "We certainly cannot wait for the federal or provincial government to say 'Here's another 100 members.'"
Partnerships are already formed, he said, and more need to be built to see those things through - and not just in Prince George.
Redl added that the local non-criminal has a responsibility too.
"The person who only smokes a couple of joints every couple of weeks is part of the problem. They are likely feeding that market," he said.
Targeted violence sometimes has collateral damage, they said, but the harshest criminality in this city being focused on those already involved in crime.
"The public is generally very safe here," Stubbs said. "I can't look someone in the eye and say you are never going to be the victim of a serious crime, but with basic steps to guard yourself, you are living in a very safe community."
