RCMP brass at the Regional District this morning with fourth quarters crime stats – with directors concerned about rising statistics on break and enters/ theft of property.

Superintendent Kevin Hewco (middle) – “Bad guys operate at night” – RCMP want to do a better job at night but funding and human resources issues interfere in that desire to serve. Hewco supervises all police work – Penticton/Summerland – Princeton/Keremeos/Oliver/Osoyoos and says his local detachment chiefs will catch criminals off guard with special projects and different work/shift schedules. That answer to a statement that most criminals seem to know there is no 24 hour policing in rural areas.

Osoyoos augments regular policing by paying $10 thousand for summer beach patrols and lake surveillance.
Other directors expressed an interest in funding extra policing with local taxes and grants to the nearest detachment.

OK Falls director Tom Siddon had to apologize for taking RCMP to task because of recent break-in in his rural area. Siddon says the stats say one thing but the phone calls prove to him that there is a lot of action by thieves in the Heritage Hill and other parts of Area D. Hewco told Siddon the stats are for 2015 and not the last three weeks.

Also in the picture (left) S/Sgt. Kirsten Marshall in charge of rural detachments and Crime Analyst Rachel Linklater.

Press picture/graphic below to make larger.

RCMP disclaimer – look at the numbers – not the percentages. Look to the coloured shading which indicates trends to be concerned about.