WEST SHORE RCMP BIANNUAL REPORT (January – June 2023)

Overview

The biannual reporting period is from January 1st to June 30th 2023. The intent of this correspondence is to provide a brief overview of policing operations at West Shore RCMP Detachment.

Crime Statistics

Within the following statistics we look for “trends.” This is significant as it relates to crime reduction initiatives designed to target prolific offenders and assists detachment personnel in identifying crime issues and focusing resources. We continue to analyze and evaluate problem areas and individuals in an effort to target them for crime reduction initiatives. All members at the detachment including general duty, plain clothes and specialty teams contribute to this effort.

Reported Incidents — West Shore Total (Jan 1 – Jun 30)

The following table represents the total reported incidents for West Shore for January 1 – June 30, 2022 & 2023 with the % change and graph depicting increases/decreases for each biannual period from 2019 through 2023. The reported incidents are grouped under Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) categories.

West Shore RCMP jurisdiction had a 17% increase (+1,845 reports) in police reports in the first six months of 2023 compared to the same 2022 period. RCMP Statistics related codes represented the highest incidence of reports followed by Other Criminal Code Violations (Other CC) and Offences Against Property. Year over year increases included all categories with the exception of Controlled Drug & Substances Act Violations (CDSA). Other Federal Statute Violations had the largest increase (54%), followed by Other CC violations (42%), Offences Against Property (30%), Provincial Statistics Codes (21%), RCMP Statistic related codes (10%), Provincial Traffic Violations (9.3%) and Crimes Against Persons (1%).

The following tables depict increases and decreases in West Shore policing areas. All policing areas with the exception of Esquimalt Nation had an increase in total reported incidents in the first 6 months of 2023 compared to the same 2022 period.

City of Langford

City of Colwood

Town of View Royal

District of Metchosin

District of Highlands

Songhees Nation

Esquimalt Nation

Percentage of Reports Per Municipality

The following table depicts the reported incidents per municipality for January 1 – June 30, 2022/2023.

Priority Service Calls

During the first six months of 2023, Priority 1 service calls accounted for 7% of all calls and Priority 2 service calls accounted for 19% of all calls. The top three calls requiring a Priority 1 response included “Suicidal Person” (32%), “Domestic in Progress” (30%) and “Motor Vehicle Incident with Injury” (11%). The top three calls requiring a Priority 2 response were “Assist Police/Fire/Ambulance” (24%), “Impaired” (14%) and “Abandoned 911” (10%).

P1 - Priority 1 – Requires urgent attention, potentially life threatening.
P2 - Priority 2 – Requires immediate attention; serious, may not be life threatening.
P3 - Priority 3 – Routine attention; no current threat to life or property.
P4 - Priority 4 – Event must be documented; may or may not require police attendance.

Priority Calls Attended - Jan 1 to June 30, 2023:

• P1: 7%
• P2: 19%
• P3: 43%
• P4: 32%

Top 5 Calls for Service (Jan 1 - June 30, 2023)

Traffic incidents represented the highest incidence of calls (9.8%) in the first 6 months of 2023 followed by Breaches (6.8%), Assist Police/Fire/Ambulance (6.6%), Check Well Being calls (6.4%) and Property related calls (4.3%).

Top 5 Time Consuming Calls

Check Well Being was the most time-consuming call type with 1,125+ hours spent attending to these calls in the first six months of 2023 and represented a 32% increase compared to the 854+ hours spent in the same 2022 period. Suicidal Person calls were the second most time-consuming call type (871+ hours), followed by Assist Police/Fire/Ambulance (755+ hours), Domestic in Progress calls (745+ hours) and Disturbance calls (445+ hours).

Crime Maps

JAN 1 – JUNE 30, 2023 CRIME MAPS (depict offences against property and robberies; not all property crimes included)

Front Counter Assistance

The West Shore Detachment receives a significant amount of calls, enquiries and files that are generated through our front counter and switchboard. The detachment currently has a member working the front counter to assist our administration staff in operational matters and improve service delivery to the community. The detachment switchboard receives a large number of phone calls each day which must be triaged and routed to our dispatch/call-taking center or to the appropriate section and member.

Jan 1 - June 30, 2023 Front Counter Calls

Guard Room Statistics (Jan 1 - June 30, 2023)

Please find below a copy of the Guard Room Statistics. *Guard room statistics follow the yearly calendar.

Jan 1 - June 30, 2023
Guard Hours: 4383
Meals: 254

Annual Performance Plan (APP)

Each Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Detachment is mandated to prepare an annual performance plan that addresses identified “local policing priorities.” These “priorities” are set through consultation with elected officials and/or senior staff members. * The APP follows the RCMP fiscal year of April 1st to March 31st.

APP priorities for the 2023/2024 fiscal year

1. Prevent and reduce the threat and impact of serious and organized crime;
2. Enhance road safety; traffic enforcement campaigns targeting uninsured drivers and education campaigns;
3. Enhance relationships with Indigenous communities; focus on reconciliation and connecting with youth;
4. Mental Health; Focus on the service our Mental Health Unit is providing to people in crisis in our communities (Mental Health unit was just announced in June and will likely be up and running in Fall 2023);
5. Youth crime preventions and education; focussing on building relationships with our youth and providing education and intervention where needed, continuing the School Liaison Program

Police-Community relations and visibility was identified by the municipalities as another priority and this will be addressed throughout the year via various Community Policing and frontline initiatives.

APP priorities for the 2022/2023 fiscal year (ended March 31, 2023)

1. Prevent and reduce the threat and impact of serious and organized crime.
2. Enhance road safety; traffic enforcement campaigns targeting speeding in and out of school zones is the focus.
3. Communicate Effectively; build and maintain positive relations with the community.
4. Enhance relationships with Indigenous communities; focus on reconciliation.
5. Reduce property crimes.
6. Workplace; Employee wellness and respect

2022/2023 Annual Performance Plan Updates

Prevent and reduce the threat and impact of serious and organized crime

• The Drugs and Organized Crime Unit consists of 4 Constables and 1 Corporal. The unit’s mandate is to investigate drug trafficking in the West Shore, as well as monitor and investigate gang activity. The investigators in this unit have shared their specialized knowledge and skills with the rest of the West Shore RCMP officers by mentoring and training officers on drug and organized crime related investigation techniques.
• The Drugs and Organized Crime Unit have led at least 3 multi-jurisdictional investigations into drug trafficking into the Capital Regional District resulting in multiple arrests. Police also seized over 8 kilos of drugs suspected to be a combination of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, GHB, multiple weapons including real and replica firearms, swords, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
• West Shore Uniformed Gang Enforcement Team has also focused on a Operational Plan to combat the infiltration of gangs in West Shore Jurisdiction. This included enhanced patrols of known gang hangouts and overt police visibility at Outlaw Motorcycle Riding events with a focus on enforcement.

Enhance Road Safety – Speeding

• The detachment’s Municipal Traffic Unit mandate is to conduct targeted enforcement and investigate fatal collisions. During the first half of the 2023, 512 violation tickets were issued.
• The unit conducted 312 enhanced traffic enforcement operations, of those, 125 were at schools patrolling the school zones. Speed enforcement campaigns are expected to continue throughout the rest of the year.
• The Automated Licence Plate Recognition device is installed in all Traffic Unit Vehicles and has resulted in many uninsured drivers being caught, in June 2023 alone over 30 uninsured drivers were caught by the traffic unit. ICBC no longer requires Val tags and this is believed to be a contributing factor to more uninsured drivers on the road. This is why uninsured drivers are the focus of traffic enforcement this year.

Community Engagement Via Educational and Prevention Programs

• The Community Policing Section consist of 4 full time Constables and one Corporal. The unit actively engages with the West Shore communities through the delivery of a variety of educational & prevention programs. CPS provides RCMP School Liaison Officers (SLO’s), for all schools within the West Shore. A School District 61 decision in May 2023, voted to end the School Liaison Program in that district thereby removing our officers from attending SD61 schools. This effected our service delivery to students in View Royal Schools including hundreds of students from Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. We have been liaising with City of View Royal, Songhees and Esquimalt Nations who all support SLO’s in their schools. It should be noted that youth engagement was listed as a priority under Community Policing Priorities and due to the removal of SLO’s, our officers have had to try and find ways to engage with youth outside of school.
• CPS also participates in the West Shore Youth Outreach Team, which is comprised of a youth counsellor and a police officer, both of whom have extensive experience in working with high risk youth.
• There are over 30 volunteers attached to Community Policing who help deliver programming in the Community. Recently, officers in the community have embarked upon Meet and Greet events at various community parks throughout the West Shore where officers engage with families and youth by handing out popcorn, freezes/slushies in and effort to speak to community members one on one.

Enhance Relationships with Aboriginal/Indigenous Communities

• The First Nation’s Community Policing (FNCP) officer, Cst. Brewer, organized and participated community policing events focusing on Indigenous youth. West Shore members participated in several floor hockey and dodge ball games where students played against police officers.
• This July, Cst. Brewer collaborated with Songhees and Esquimalt Nations to plan and organize a cultural camp at Bamberton Provincial Park. This was attended by over 70 youth and we are hoping it becomes an annual event. Cst. Brewer has also focused on cultural educational talks with students from Royal Bay and Belmont Secondary Schools.
• In Spring 2023, School District 61 announced it’s decision to prohibit School Liaison Officers (SLO’s), from attending schools. Cst. Brewer was the SLO for all View Royal Schools as there is a high Indigenous student population that attended schools in this area specifically, students who are from Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. Of note, two canoe trips that were planned months in advance for the end of June were cancelled last minute due to the removal of SLO’s, leaving students and parents upset without final year end field trips.
• Cst. Brewer continues to attend the Nations on a regular basis addressing community concerns and building relationships. Areas and topics of concern are shared with West Shore RCMP officers so that they may provide culturally sensitive policing services.

Reduce Property Crimes

• The West Shore RCMP Crime Analyst has been working with frontline members to identify chronic offenders and crime trends. Offences against property has seen a 30% increase in the first half of 2023.
• The Crime Reduction Unit maintains the Prolific Offender Program, which keeps track of offenders on strict house arrest and curfew conditions. Our officers routinely conduct home visits to ensure offender’s compliance with Court ordered conditions. The unit also operates a bait car program which is deployed in areas where vehicle theft has been prevalent.
• The unit has executed numerous search warrants in relation to property crime offences and investigated over 29 files involving chronic property offenders. From April to March 2023, the unit was investigating a chronic property crime offender who was recently charged for 18 property crimes related offences. The accused was arrested and brought before the court where he was released with conditions by a Judge.

Mental Health

• In June 2023, West Shore RCMP announced the creation of the Mental Health Unit. The unit will be comprised of 1 Corporal and 2 Constables who will work together with Mental Health Clinicians from Island Health to respond to mental health related calls for service in West Shore.
• When making an apprehension under the Mental Health Act, the law requires a police officer to take an individual to a designated medical facility for assessment by a medical doctor. Apprehensions under the Mental Health Act are only made when absolutely necessary for the safety of the individual and those around them.
• The need for the unit has grown over the past 5 years as the West Shore RCMP has seen a 39% increase in mental health related calls for service from 1163 calls in 2018 to 1622 mental health related calls in 2022.
• The unit is expected to be up and running in Fall of 2023. Officers for the unit have already been identified and we are awaiting Island Health to identify the Mental Health Clinicians the officers will be paired with. The detachment is also looking to find space to house the new unit as the current detachment has reached its physical capacity.

Human Resources Status Report

As of June 2023, The West Shore RCMP has 110 sworn officers, 1 Civilian Member, three reserve constables, ten commissionaires and over fifty civilian personnel who staff West Shore RCMP.

The need for a new RCMP building has been at the forefront of operational planning at West Shore RCMP. We have outgrown our current detachment. The lack of space has the potential to affect operations moving forward. As mentioned above the new Mental Health Unit does not have a physical office space in the detachment and alternative office spaces are being explored.

As indicated earlier in this report, the overall reported incidents have increased placing pressure on policing resources. With strong population growth this trend is expected to continue and additional police officers and support staff will be required as we move forward to meet the policing needs of the West Shore.

Work Place Wellness

The RCMP has made the mental and physical health of its members and employees a high priority. As the West Shore area continues in its population and development growth, there have been an increasing number of critical incident calls. Members and employees attending and investigating these incidents can experience a high degree of stress and trauma. The RCMP has mental health resources including Peer to Peer, Employee Assistance Program, RCMP Psychologist and referrals to personal and family counselling services. Supervisors are engaged on a regular basis with members and staff to promote work place wellness. Employees are encouraged to maintain physical health through detachment fitness facilities and maintain active lifestyles in the community.

Respectfully submitted.

Superintendent Todd Preston
Detachment Commander

End Notes

i. The West Shore RCMP Biannual Report provides an overview of various statistics & policing in West Shore & is not comprehensive. The statistics presented in this report were retrieved from RCMP E Division Business Intelligence and the British Columbia Police Records Information Environment (PRIME) & are accurate on the retrieval date. All data is preliminary and is subject to change based on investigational factors and data quality processes. In cases of discrepancy with previous/subsequent data, the most current data will take precedence. Collision data is not complete as it only includes files where police attended and not all collisions reported to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC).

ii. Total figures represent all reported incidents, including online reports, assistance to other agencies, prevention, information and unfounded files.

iii. Totals may be greater or less that the number of reported incidents in each Uniform Crime Report category as some reported incidents may involve more than one offence type (e.g. assault and theft constitute a persons offence and a property offence).

iv. RCMP Statistics Codes include, but are not limited to, bylaws, traffic (collisions, driving complaints, 215’s/IRP’s, etc.), warrants, missing persons, animal calls, false alarms, suspicious occurrences, etc.

v. Other Criminal Code Violations include, but are not limited to, weapons related offences (e.g. possession, trafficking), breaches, causing a disturbance, trespass at night, obstruction, being unlawfully at large, etc.

vi. As of January 31st, 2023 until January 31, 2026, adults in British Columbia are not subject to criminal charges for the personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal drugs in response to the toxic drug crisis. See https://www2.gov.bc.ca/content/overdose/decriminalization for more information. The decriminalization may contribute to a decrease in police related statistics.

vii. Other Federal Statute Violations include, but are not limited to, Firearms Act, Youth Criminal Justice Act, Parole & Conditional Release Act, Quarantine Act, Tobacco Act, Aeronautics Act, etc.

viii. Provincial Statistics Codes include, but are not limited to, the Liquor Control & Licensing Act, Mental Health Act, Coroners Act, Trespass Act, Wildlife Act, Cannabis Control & Licensing Act, etc.

ix. Traffic Violations (Provincial) include, but are not limited to, Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle, Driving While Prohibited, Impaired Operation of a Motor Vehicles, Fail to Stop/Remain, etc.

x. Colwood’s Other Criminal Code figures do not include files at the courthouse (fail to appear), but are included in Colwood’s Total figures.

xi. Service calls do not include online reports.

xii. Maps depict offences against property and robberies. Not all property crimes are included on the maps as some property crimes do not have a geographic component (e.g. online fraud). The maps do not include files scored as information, prevention, assistance or unfounded.