Enforcement unit looks to enhance policing in downtown Vernon

VERNON – A two-constable unit is gaining attention in downtown Vernon.

The Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said in a media release the downtown enforcement unit is a team of two police officers whose primary function is to "provide enhanced policing service to the downtown core of Vernon and other vulnerable crime areas within the community. The unit provides a visible presence through proactive enforcement and targeted patrols."

Const. Mark MacAuley, originally from Novia Scotia with 16 years of policing experience and four years in Vernon, and Const. Ryan Carey, originally from small-town Ontario with nearly four years of policing experience in Vernon, make up the team often seen patrolling downtown on foot, bike or in a marked vehicle.

The enforcement unit is also responsible for working with agencies that routinely deal with street-entrenched clients and other issues specific to the downtown core such as bylaw enforcement, the Upper Room Mission, Interior Health and the Canadian Mental Health Association, RCMP said. 

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