Kimberley RCMP will continue to face challenges with impaired driving and chronic offenders.
Staff Sgt Steve Woodcox said some ongoing property crime suspects are coming to Kimberley from other areas.
“We see offenders who have a lot of pressure on them in other jurisdictions so they come here to do crime or stop here on their way to another jurisdiction,” explained Woodcox.
“It doesn’t happen a lot, but we believe there were some incidents that were all involving the same individuals.”
In his presentation to City Council, Woodcox mentioned a few of the incidents that he suspects have ties.
“There was a theft of a truck in the Townsite area. That truck was later spotted in the Columbia Valley and a short pursuit was initiated. Three individuals were arrested and there were firearms inside the vehicle,” said Sgt. Woodcox.
“At the same time, we had a report of a vehicle on fire in the Wasa area, down a forest service road. That vehicle was later found to be stolen out of Logan Lake [southwest of Kamloops],” continued Woodcox. “We believe these were all associated with the same individuals.”
Impaired driving was brought up as another concern for the community’s RCMP.
“We see spikes in [drunk driving] from time to time, but it’s an issue that has never gone away,” said Woodcox.
Sgt. Woodcox urged the public to call and report any driver they suspect to be impaired.
“It puts everyone’s life in jeopardy,” said Woodcox. “Come the summer months, we’ll have kids and families walking all over town. We want to make sure those people who are driving impaired are stopped by the police and charged accordingly.”
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