POLICE – Kamloops ‘a very safe place to live’ says RCMP superintendent

The Tournament Capital is a safe city, says the commanding officer of its police force.

RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley responded Tuesday to a damning Statistics Canada crime severity index that placed Kamloops in the number spot in the country when it comes to crime rate.

Pelley told City council one of the reasons for the ranking is that Kamloops has been compared to much larger cities in this year’s version of the Statistics Canada report. He said a crime in Kamloops has a more dramatic effect on stats here than it does in cities with much higher populations.

While non-violent crimes in Kamloops are up, violent crimes are down, and Kamloops “continues to be a very safe place to live.”

He pointed to an uptick in break and enters, shop lifting, robbery and other non-violent crimes as having an impact on overall crime statistics, noting that a single prolific offender accounted for 59 charges last year, and there are 14 prolific offenders in Kamloops.

“We are focusing where we need to,” he said, adding that the detachment is “working to increase the safety and security of our already safe community.”

Coun. Kelly Hall praised the work done by police and various community groups, saying the crime severity index numbers “mean nothing, in my opinion, to this community” and, quoting Wayne Gretzky, “stats are for losers.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE: This post has been updated to clarify that Coun. Hall was quoting Wayne Gretzky. In fairness, related comments posted prior to the clarification have been removed.)

He said what people should be talking about are improvements to housing, sobering centres, community courts, situation tables, Car 40 and other programs aimed at reducing crime.

“These are measures that council and the community and the RCMP are working together (on) to make our community a happier and safer place to live.”

Coun. Nancy Bepple called the reduction in violent crimes “a bright light.”

Pelley acknowledged there are problems with drug trafficking and gang behaviour but a focusing of resources in those areas has been having a positive effect. They’re aimed at long-term solutions, he said.

His report to council came on the same day as an announcement to the Block Watch program is being brought back. RCMP and the City will partner to relaunch the program that aims to help empower residents interested in reducing crime.

Block Watch began in B.C. in 1986. Several years there were about 35 blocks that were active in the program but the numbers gradually declined.

The main objective of Block Watch is to build safer neighbourhoods by encouraging residents to take a proactive approach to crime prevention and safety, said Cpl. Dana Napier of the Kamloops RCMP Detachment’s Crime Prevention Unit. Providing education on target hardening, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, and recognizing and reporting suspicious behaviour through the Block Watch Program, enables a community to play a role in its safety and the reduction of crime, she said.

The program involves forming groups or blocks of residents who watch over each other and their neighbours’ properties as if they were their own.

It encourages community members to get to know their neighbours, connect regularly, and foster a sense of community, said Lisa Gammel, the City’s Crime Prevention Coordinator.

Currently in Kamloops, there are 21 active Block Watches in neighbourhoods scattered throughout the city, including Dallas, North Shore, Valleyview, Bachelor Heights, downtown, and others. Participating streets are marked with a Block Watch sign at the beginning and end of the area they represent.

The Crime Prevention Team is connecting with existing groups and encouraging those interested in the Block Watch Program to reach out for more information. Once they do, coordinator Sim Uppal will connect with them, explain what they need to get started, and provide presentations about what’s involved and what services are available.

To learn more about Block Watch or to sign up for the program, visit Kamloops.ca/BlockWatch or contact the North Shore Community Policing Office at 250-376-5099, or Sim Uppal, the Kamloops Crime Prevention Block Watch Coordinator, at 250-828-3238.

Some steps to start a Block Watch:

Identify a Captain and Co-Captain

Fill out an application form and Police Information Check at the North Shore Community Policing Office,

Canvass your neighbourhood to build your group, and submit a map and list of participating houses,

Attend a training session with a Block Watch Coordinator, and

Have signs installed on your street to identify yourself as a neighbourhood that reports suspicious activity.