Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Top Cop Says Crime Is Down

RCMP Superintendent Reg Burgess speaks to media at Vernon detachment (P McIntyre photo)
RCMP Superintendent Reg Burgess
The officer in charge of the North Okanagan RCMP says it's been a successful year of policing for the area.  Superintendent Reg Burgess says calls for service have gone down almost 13 percent from last year, from 18,386 to December 13th 2010, to 16,285 as of this December 13th. He says criminal code calls for service have dropped nine percent over the same period from 6,789 to 6,177.  A general drop in crime is one reason, but Burgess also feels the detachment's push on prolific offenders is another. "The more attention we can pay to those individuals who are doing the majority of crime, the less opportunity they have to do so. Either getting them in treatment, getting them in custody, or getting conditions on them that they abide by. Those are the things that seem to be the most effective." Burgess says they are seeing less recidivism from criminals. "Crime reduction is very much a partnership with probation, the Crown and the judges, the court system, and everyone is on board." Burgess also read a statment to media, thanking area residents for their ongoing support and cooperation to keep communities safe.  "Your support and cooperation has helped lead us to a successful year of policing for our area. Unfortunately there will always be a need for police in our society, crime is still happening.  We have had a recent rash of robberies and also of business B & Es. We continue to experience death and injuries from traffic accidents on our highways. However  due very much in part to community support we have driven criminal code crime statistics and total calls for service down again this year." The superintendent says police continue to work hard on the Taylor Van Diest homicide investigation in Armstrong with a specialized Major Crime Unit based out of Kelowna.

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