Prince George RCMP Supt. Eric Stubbs is hoping to take action on the issue of domestic violence in the city.
Stubbs met with city council's committee of the whole on Wednesday to report on crime statistics for 2011 and discuss the RCMP's strategic direction for 2012. Stubbs said he would like to see Prince George have an RCMP officer dedicated to working with high-risk victims of domestic violence.
"We don't have a family violence unit. That's a bit unusual in a city of our size," Stubbs said. "It [domestic violence] has been consistently a problem in Prince George. Daily we're going to these, two or three. I personally have been to a couple domestics here and one that was extremely violent ... she was lucky to be alive."
In 2011 Prince George RCMP were called to 913 domestic disputes, including 336 in which charges were laid. In 2009 there were 953 domestic dispute calls and 844 in 2010.
A dedicated family violence officer would work with the victims of domestic violence to help them make the changes they need to be safe, he said.
In communities which have family violence units, those officers work in partnership with social workers, community support agencies like the Elizabeth Fry Society and victim services volunteers to support the victims.
"It's a high-risk area that, if we drop the ball, bad things can happen," Stubbs said. "It's not just about convictions. If we can get a conviction, great. If we don't get a conviction, but she [the victim] moves on and is safe, that's the important thing."
Stubbs said he'll be meeting with local agencies who address domestic violence and violence against women this month to discuss the proposed initiative.
The RCMP's fiscal and planning year runs from April to April, he said, so likely any changes would begin then.
Currently there are three or four officers in the detachment who have specialized training for dealing with domestic violence situations, he said, but often it falls to general duty officers to respond.
In B.C. there are strict policies for police investigating domestic violence which Prince George RCMP follow, Stubbs said. Prosecuting the abusers is often difficult because there is a high level of noncooperation from the victims who may be intimidated by their abusive partner, he said.
Coun. Lyn Hall and Mayor Shari Green expressed support for the initiative.
"I would be very supportive if there was an opportunity to find the resources for that," Hall said.
