Kelowna RCMP presents new strategic plan, calls to double downtown patrols

Kelowna RCMP presented its strategic plan for the next four years to city councillors on Monday.

Presented by Supt. Kara Triance, who took command last fall, the plan was informed by citizen surveys conducted between 2019 and 2020.

Results showed that 98% of survey respondents feel safe in their neighbourhood, however, central and downtown Kelowna felt “less safe” due to homelessness and open substance abuse.

The report cites prevailing public health issues that “cannot be resolved through law enforcement” as the driving force behind downtown's issues.

It also notes that when police do get involved it's “a rare exception when there are legal grounds for an arrest” making it difficult to deal with nuisance calls.

Kelowna RCMP's response was highlighted by a call to double the foot and bike patrol presence in public spaces in an effort to add a more visible police presence in the community.

With 2,488 thefts from autos, 310 residential break and enters along and more than 600 bike thefts, property crime was a heavy focus in the strategic plan.

Kelowna RCMP's property crime division, which is led by the Target Team force, highlighted "societal conditions" like addiction and homelessness as the driving force behind the issues.

The strategic plan cited a need to handle persistent offenders more effectively, however, once again it sugguested law enforcement is not the root, nor the solution, to the problem.

"Police services depend on the courts to address persistent offenders," stated the report.

"Ending a cycle of addictions and crime for persistent offenders must include partners beyond police services and justice organizations."

Following last year's investigation into Kelowna RCMP's handling of a number of sexual assault complaints, a plan to train 70% of the detachment in trauma-informed practices to improve response to sexual violence was announced via the strategy plan.

“Learning from our community’s concerns over past classification of sexual assault reports as well as the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, we are increasingly aware of our potential to improve an individual’s capacity to cope with the trauma they have experienced or make it worse,” said Triance.

"We are also investing in the psychological resilience our policing professionals need to show up at their best for every citizen, many of whom may be experiencing victimization, personal loss, or mental health and substance use challenges."

To read the full report to council, click here.