A new plainclothes investigation team with the RCMP will work on investigations surrounding the most vulnerable, including violence against women and children in the regional area.

Penticton RCMP have established a new Special Victims Unit (SVU), an investigation team consisting of two plainclothes officers.

The two positions were created from existing plainclothes resources according to Cst. James Grandy and will enhance investigations involving the most vulnerable.

Based in Penticton, the SVU will also assist other South Okanagan detachments.

The SVU will work with other government and community agencies to protect and support victims. They will also conduct, support and provide oversight on investigations involving high-risk domestic violence offences, internet-based exploitation, and serious sexual assaults, including those involving children.

“These kinds of sensitive investigations take a special kind of officer. The two assigned to this unit are highly trained and professional and will provide a much needed complement to our front-line investigators,” Grandy said.