COUNCIL GETS LOWDOWN ON CRIME NUMBERS FROM RCMP

It's a point Staff. Sgt Dave Beach has made before, and last
Wednesday he made it again.

"There's nothing we can do if we don't know a crime has been
committed," the officer in charge of the Vanderhoof RCMP detachment
told district council at its regular meeting.

Beach was at the meeting to bring councillors up-to-date on crime
stats from 2005, answering any questions they had on the numbers.
Mayor Len Fox related an incident from a few years ago, when fishing
gear was stolen from his boat.

"I phoned the RCMP and I was told there was nothing they could do about it.

"Why would I phone back if something else was stolen?"

Beach said Fox shouldn't have been told that then, and definitely
wouldn't be told that now. He said the local detachment has recently
started a new program linking certain kinds of crime.

"Calls to the office about property damage, break-and-enters and
thefts are now put on the same board. If we have a suspect in one of
the files there, we talk to them about all the cases."

Beach said a majority of the crimes being committed in Vanderhoof are
committed by the same small group of people.

"Many of the liquor offenses, for instance, are the same people over
and over. We catch them, we keep them in cells until they're sober,
we release them, and then we get another call about them."

A drug and alcohol counsellor is being called in to the office often
now, trying to help the habitual offenders deal with their problems.

In answer to a question from Coun. Brian Frenkel, Beach said the RCMP
had noticed an increase in crystal meth use in the community.

"I've had quite a few parents calling, concerned about their
children. We had two of our officers attend a forum recently in
Prince George to learn more about crystal meth."

Coun. Ken Young said he had seen firsthand the effects of the addiction.

"It progresses quite rapidly. It's easy to spot, unfortunately."

At the end of Beach's presentation, Fox asked if he had any
suggestions for how council could work more closely with the RCMP.

"The community is very supportive of the council and the RCMP," Beach
replied. "The problems we have are a small group of people, and the
community supports us in our efforts to solve the problem."