Kamloops police foot patrols ‘pay dividends’: top cop

Kamloops cops have been patrolling problem areas on foot since the spring, and it’s putting a dent in low-level crime and street disorder.

That according to the head of Kamloops RCMP, who said officers in the street patrol program have had nearly 1,000 run-ins with “vulnerable” people while walking the beat.

“That’s not criminalizing but actually being out there in the prevention aspect,” Supt. Jeff Pelley told city council this afternoon, Sept. 29.

“We focus on those individuals on the street and main corridors, and we’ve had some great success with that.”

The program launched on May 1 with two officers on shift for ten hours per day. They have spent 80 per cent of their time on Victoria Street from 6 Avenue to Overlanders Bridge and on Tranquille Road. The rest is split between Valleyview and Lower Sahali.

“We’ve been able to pay dividends with that presence,” he said.

More than half of the job has been dealing with non-criminal issues, often referring people to other social services, while 28% of their incidents have escalated to a criminal matter.

Most of the time it’s a public disturbance, intoxication or drugs.

Kelowna took a similar approach, adding police and bylaw foot patrols to the downtown core in an effort to crack down on street disorder. Business owners said earlier this year it was making a difference, and the city bolstered its downtown policing presence again earlier this summer.

For Kamloops, police have arrested 24 people on warrants through the foot patrol program. Officers have also made more than 40 drug seizures and recommended six new criminal charges, according to a report to city council.