RCMP to update city on Kelowna’s crime reduction strategy

SUPT. NICK ROMANCHUK SAYS HE HAS 'WHOLE NEW VERSION' OF PLAN

KELOWNA – RCMP Supt. Nick Romanchuk will give a long-awaited public update of the city’s crime prevention strategy at a Kelowna council meeting sometime in April.

Romanchuk described the strategy as “a whole new version” of a multi-year plan with a high-level look at crime trends and possible solutions developed collaboratively with the city.

This will be the superintendent’s first public update of the crime reduction strategy since the 2014 muncipal election, although he has met several times with council in closed meetings.

“We have had a lot of discussion with the city, which I believe we had to have in camera, to deal with a number of issues,” he says.

Romanchuk says the crime strategy was last revised by his predecessor Supt. Bill McKinnon, although periodic updates are possible anytime.

“If things drastically changed we would consider updating it again, say, if things changed course and the economy took a dive and there was an impact on certain areas of crime.”

Coun. Ryan Donn last fall complained of the lack of a public meeting and update from the Kelowna RCMP, saying there were questions he would like to ask of the superintendent in a public forum.

Donn today says he’s happy to see the RCMP scheduled to be back at council.

“A large portion of our budget goes to cover the cost of keeping our city safe,” he says.

Kelowna RCMP have been the focus of considerable city spending in the last four years, hiring 21 new officers, bringing total detachment strength to 167.

The city is also spending $48 million on a new 100,000 square foot police services building on Clement Avenue due to open in 2017.

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

— This story was corrected at 10:48 a.m., Monday, March 21, 2016 to say this is Romanchuk's first public update of the crime reduction strategy since the 2014 municipal election, not the first time he has appeared in public before city council.