Shorthanded police express frustration

A pair of recent drug arrests on the east side of town have seen the local detachment of the RCMP take the rare step of expressing what could be perceived as public frustration at staffing levels in the city.

In the body of an article in the Daily News and in a press release issued from the RCMP on the topic of the arrests, the process of investigation was outlined, a time consuming and meticulous process which is required to make sure that the case stands up to scrutiny in the courts.

As an aside, the issue of staffing levels was mentioned, with the detachment currently some eight officers short due to funding issues, the ability to respond to regular patrol calls and investigate those crimes that the public place as a priority seems to be getting stretched a little thin.

It's an issue that perhaps should come before city council for discussion. If there's a problem with the state of enforcement abilities in the city, then the city should address it and explain to the residents how and why the situation seems to be as it is at the moment. As well, if there is anything that the city can do anything to change the current situation, which seems to be at a bit of a tipping point.

Swoop on suspected dealers nets drug haul
The Daily News
Friday, April 20, 2007

Prince Rupert RCMP removed thousands of dollars in illegal drugs from the city’s streets last week during the search of two homes.

On Wed., April 11, officers executed a warrant on a residence in the 800 block of Sixth Avenue East. An ounce of cocaine was seized from the 28-year-old male resident. Charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking are being recommended by police.

The following night, members executed a search warrant on a residence in the 500 block of Eighth Avenue East. Police seized nearly a pound of marijuana and arrested the 29-year-old resident. Charges of Possession of a Controlled Substance for the Purpose of Trafficking are being recommended.

“While these charges represent only two individuals, thousands of dollars worth of illegal drugs were taken off of Prince Rupert’s streets in each of these two cases,” said Const. Steve Richards, RCMP Prince Rupert Media Relations.

“Your local RCMP detachment understands that many of our citizens can sometimes grow impatient, waiting for action to be taken on what they see as flagrant drug activity in their neighborhood. We ask that you keep in mind that these investigations take time. One of these latest investigations was begun back in October of last year.”

Certainly, shutting down the street level traffickers is important. However, it is also important that they attempt to follow these dealers back to the source.

“Being able to track the supply back up the chain helps us to go after the larger suppliers. We must also ensure that our investigations will stand up to scrutiny when tested in the courts,” he said. “It is important to get these drugs off the streets but equally important to provide the Crown with a solid case on which to prosecute to offenders.”

He explained these files also require a substantial amount of manpower to investigate. Many members are required to investigate, conduct surveillance, and meet the grounds required to obtain a search warrant.

During the execution of a search warrant, more are required to ensure the safety of the public, the members involved, and the occupants of the residence being searched.

“Operating eight officers short of what our detachment strength should be, means it can be sometimes challenging to keep enough members on shift to respond to calls and free up members to investigate these files,” he said.

Const. Richards said one of the most important investigative elements to drug investigations is information. Whether these tips comes from Crime Stoppers, the complaints line, or other police sources. The more detailed the information they receive, the better the likelihood that they’ll shut down the drug dealers.