NELSON RCMP TO INCREASE STAFF

911 service dispatch to be from Trail RCMP detachment

Nelson's RCMP detachment might be about to beef up its number of members
for two reasons -to focus more attention on narcotic drug trafficking, and
to enforce customs and Immigration laws more stringently.

Councillor Donna Macdonald, the City's rep at the Regional District board,
gave council this information in her report on RDCK business, and moved a
resolution

January 13, Her motion passed, and so Mayor Dave Elliot will write to the
Solicitor General of the Province urging him to promote the
increased-staffing proposal, at RCMP decision-making levels.

Another change in local RCMP operations will mean calls to the 9-1-1
service of the RDCK will be answered by a dispatcher in the Trail
detachment, the change will not pose any problems according to RDCK chief
executive officer Reid Henderson. "What they call 'primary dispatch' will
be in Trail." Henderson said "They could have put it in Kelowna."

He said he was assured by Gary Johnson at the Regional District of Kootenay
Boundary that dispatch from a distant centre is not a problem, and that for
fire calls the dispatch will be re-routed to Nelson.