With the issue of staffing levels in rural areas raging on, the RCMP tried to address those concerns at a media conference at their headquarters in Regina Thursday.
The media call comes in the wake of a number of high-profile crimes in rural areas, particularly in west-central Saskatchewan, which has seen numerous incidents including robberies and property crimes.
Spt. Mike Gibbs described some successes in rural areas including the arrest of break and enter suspects in Moosomin, the bust of a major marijuana grow-op in the Medstead area, and the arrests and charges laid against several people for copper wire thefts in the Colonsay area.
Gibbs acknowledged property crime complaints have increased since last year in west-central Saskatchewan and overall in the province. He said detachments are combining resources and working to monitor habitual offenders.
“We know that people are frustrated, that they feel vulnerable and violated when their property is stolen,” said Gibbs.
But he said the first priority will always be responding to calls “where people are in danger of being hurt or killed.”
Between resourcing levels and the priority of calls, and the vast distances, it can take some time to respond, he said.
“If we’re not getting to you it’s likely because we’re responding to a higher priority call. We do not have target response times. There are too many variables involved. Instead, we aim to respond to every call and get there in a timely manner.”
Spt. Kris Vibe of the RCMP spoke about staffing levels. He said there were 924 front-line police officers in rural Saskatchewan and they are deployed based on a comprehensive analysis of calls for service and crime data.
As of Sept. 15 there were 11.5 positions vacant for a vacancy pattern of 1.2 per cent.
In addition to that are members on parental leave, sick leave or on suspension. Those positions continue to be on salary and those numbered 20, for 2.16 per cent.
RCMP urged people to keep property safe, and said “while we might long for the days when we didn’t have to remove our keys from our vehicles or lock our fuel tanks, those days are, unfortunately, gone,” Gibbs said.
What isn’t gone is how to look after one another, he said. He urged people to keep an eye out for their property and neighbours but to do it within the boundaries of the law.
“If you spot something suspicious, call the police,” he urged. “Do not attempt to pursue or subdue suspects.”
With respect to the reports of rural residents carrying firearms, he said carrying guns in anticipation of or in preparation for confrontations “is not safe for anyone.”
Of Facebook groups and pages devoted to the issue, Gibbs urged everyone to “take a deep breath and think about what they’re posting. Is it going to help or going to hinder?”
When the news conference turned to questions from those on call and from the floor, several reporters demanding specific numbers for crime levels.
Gibbs was asked for specifics about statistics from west-central Saskatchewan, but while he confirmed the crime was up, he could not provide specific numbers, saying those were covered at the local level.
Reporters also grilled RCMP representatives about vacancy numbers. Vibe said the RCMP had invested “a lot of time and energy” to bring people into the organization and to keep them working and fit for duty.
Vibe addressed the stories cited on the John Gormley show, in which RCMP members reported vacancy rates closer to 25 per cent.
Vibe said the stories submitted to that show were “the perfect storm,” noting members would be gone on annual leave, paternity leave and off on training.
Another reporter noted some areas of the province seemed to become the “Wild West” and Vibe encouraged people not to take matters into their own hands “because we don’t want the Wild West, that’s something we’re very concerned about.”
The News-Optimist asked the RCMP about the Battlefords detachment. Spt. Gibbs spoke about the structural changes that had gone on at that detachment with respect to the municipal detachment and rural detachment units.
“Within the last year, year-and-a-half, the Battlefords detachment has undergone a bit of a review internally and they’ve amalgamated those two units,” Gibbs said. “So they both work under the same roof and maneuver through the same shift schedule.”
He said they provide service in the city and town and into the rural areas as well. A municipal policing service agreement is in place with the City, and the other service is provided through contract with the province.
