Kimberley RCMP responded to 388 incidents from January 1 to March 31, 2015, including 70 traffic incidents, 43 abandoned 911 calls, 14 drug calls, 9 impaired driving and 3 assaults.
Cpl. Chris Newel visited Kimberley City Council last week to deliver the first quarter Policing Report and update Council on RCMP doings in Kimberley. Typically this is a slower time of year and calls for service will increase as the weather gets warmer, he said.
“Our Annual Performance Plan 2014/2015 reflects current trends and issues raised though the community,”he said. “As a result of your input we had four initiatives. 1) Road Safety, 2) Crime Reduction, 3) Family Violence, 4) Organized Crime. These initiatives will remain in place for 2015/16 year. Road Safety Road safety encompasses a broad area; we focus on enforcement, education and awareness along with proactive initiatives such as road checks. Over the course of three months, officers initiated 94 traffic contacts and eleven impaired drivers were taken off the road. Those can be the result of traffic stops, road checks or complaints made by the public.”
Newel also reported that the two person Cranbrook/Kimberley Crime Reduction Unit have been involved in seven major investigations over the past quarter. Five were drug seizures/arrests, two in Kimberley, one in Fernie and two in Cranbrook. They assisted with a major criminal investigation in Cranbrook, with major links to Kimberley which resulted in charges.
“The unit has proven to be very effective and can respond to situations quickly when needed,” Newel said.