Sgt. Steve Woodcox of the Kimberley RCMP delivered the fourth quarter policing report to Council at their April 22 meeting. The 4th quarter covers January to the end of March 2024.
The past year the priorities for the detachment has been traffic enforcement/road safety; youth and social/chronic offenders - property crimes.
The next time Woodcox brings a police report to council, new priorities will have been set after consultation with stakeholders.
He reported that calls for service were about the same as last year, with 10 reports being forward to Crown for charge approval.
Woodcox recounted a few property crime incidents that he said would give council an idea of the work the Kimberley Detachment was doing.
“Unfortunately, for the second time this year, Ghostrider Motorsports was broken into and five motorcycles were stolen. The owners put some of the stuff on social media and that led to recovery of the vehicles.”
The bikes were found in Jaffray and the investigation is ongoing.
A theft of truck occurred in Kimberley Townsite area and the vehicle was then seen in Columbia Valley and after a short pursuit, several suspects were arrested and firearms were located in the vehicle. These suspects are charged and are from outside Kimberley. As this event was occurring a pickup truck was reported to be on fire in the Wasa area and that truck was later discovered to be stolen out of Logan Lake.
Woodcox said that the perpetrators were not Kimberley residents, they just come to the community to commit crime.
He also spoke to the ongoing concern of impaired driving.
“It spikes from time to time and continues to be an issue,” he said.
A crash on Gerry Sorensen Way involved an impaired driver crashing into a vehicle with a family in it. Luckily there were no severe injuries, he said.
The other incident involved BC Ambulance reporting an impaired driver and when the Kimberley RCMP officer stopped the vehicle in the Wasa area the driver was not only impaired but in possession of a loaded firearm which he was on conditions not to possess. That driver was issued a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition and is facing criminal charges regarding the firearm.
“We remind the public that if you see someone you believe to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs, please call it in. In summer kids and families are walking all over town. We want to be sure everyone is safe.”
Woodcox wound up his report with a shout out to Kimberley Search and Rescue.
“I have worked with SAR for 24 years and the people here are some of the most dedicated I have met. They are eager to help out, always answer the phone and mobilize quickly. I don’t know what we’d do without them. They are a great bunch of people, always willing to help.”