Kamloops RCMP revives Crime Reduction Unit to focus on prolific offenders

KAMLOOPS – According to Kamloops’ top cop, the local RCMP detachment has had a Crime Reduction Unit for years, but until recently, hasn’t had the manpower to staff it.

This is the first year of the five-year strategic plan for Kamloops police. Last year, city council approved the plan, entitling RCMP to an additional five officers each year.

Superintendent Jeff Pelley took over as head of Kamloops RCMP late last year, stepping in just in time to see the RCMP five-year strategic plan begin, and resurrect the Crime Reduction Unit, which focuses on prolific offenders.

“The program has been around for many years, but our Crime Reduction Unit has not been staffed here for a few years, given our priority has been front-line policing,” Pelley told CFJC News.

When the five-year plan was initially presented to council last year by former Supt. Syd Lecky. The five additional officers were intended to meet the demand of the cities growing population and would focus on front-line policing.

However, Supt. Pelley says the new bodies won’t necessarily mean more cops on the front line.

“As we move ahead and increase our establishment, we are able to staff, not only the unit but keep effective numbers in our frontline policing and then collaboratively focus on these repeat offenders that constantly commit crimes in our community,” he explained. “This is the unit that can be proactive versus reactive.”

According to the superintendent, the newly staffed unit is intelligence-based. It will focus on preventing crimes by targeting prolific offenders before they can re-offend.

“The enforcement on repeat offenders and making sure they don’t repeatedly victimize this community is our mandate within this unit and our general duty core policing,” Pelley said.

Though it’s still in the early stages and only partially staffed, Pelley said the unit has already made some headway.

“We’ve had some recent successes on three high-risk offenders being remanded into custody and we’ve seen a decline in certain areas of crime types, such as stolen vehicles and property offences.”