Standing in for Kimberley RCMP Detachment Commander Sgt. Chris Newel, Cpl. Kate Bamber delivered the First Quarter Policing Report to City Council on Monday, July 13, 2020.
The RCMP fiscal year runs from April 2020 to the end of March 2021, and thus the first quarter is April, May and June.
Statistics are fairly typical for any quarter, although Bamber said because of COVID-19, a lot of the detachment’s proactive activities such as school visits, foot patrols and bar checks had to be curtailed.
Coun. Jason Mccain noted that Kimberley’s crime statistics do not tend to vary much.
Bamber agreed, saying that they are typically stable year to year.
“Kimberley is very low on the crime index,” she said. “We can do proactive patrols. We have the odd crazy kind of day, but on the whole we are really blessed to work in the community we have.”
Bamber also noted that in the report, Sgt. Newel formally announced his retirement as of November 4, 2020.
Asked who his replacement might be, Bamber said it would be up to the South East District.
Typically, she said Human Resources would look at current sergeants who may have indicated Kimberley as a place they’d like to work, and contact them.
She said while she thought that lateral search would likely yield results, if it didn’t, there would be a promotion process.
She also said there would likely be a period after Sgt. Newel’s retirement before a new commander was in place, but that she acts in his stead when he is away.