KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK TUESDAY
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OCTOBER 21, 2014 | Volume 27 No. 125
ON THE HUSTINGS TODAY’S WEATHER
Sun and clouds High 16 C Low 11 C
ULLY ON FIRE IRE AS BLAZERS ERS RETURN HOME OME
The latest news from the civic-election campaign
WHL club set to face w night Vancouver tomorrow
A10-A11
A17
KAMLOOPS LONGBOARDERS ON TOP OF THE WORLD
ALLEN DOUGLAS/KTW
What is believed to be the first municipal longboard course in the world was officially opened on Saturday, Oct. 18, with boarders of all ages tackling the ribbons of pavement above Pacific Way elementary. Go online to kamloopsthisweek.com and click on the “Sports” tab to see more photos from the busy day on the hill.
TOP COP SAYS KAMLOOPS NEEDS MORE MOUNTIES TIM PETRUK STAFF REPORTER tim@kamloopsthisweek.com
Kamloops’ top cop says the local detachment is in need of additional Mounties. RCMP Supt. Brad Mueller said there are eight officer vacancies right now and he expects to require an additional one or two officers within five years. “We’ve had a number of scheduled and unscheduled retirements, some promotions and new opportunities that have taken some of our senior members,” he said at the city’s co-ordinated enforcement task force meeting yesterday (Oct. 20). “We’re actually working with our staffing people on that but, with, that we’re facing some challenges.” Mueller said the Kamloops detachment’s understaffing is affecting front-line policing.
“We’re short right now on our watches — in providing that street-level, boots-on-the-ground, uniformed policing,” he said. “We need to ensure we maintain our minimums, and we do, but, when we’re short resources, it becomes a challenge. “We are running a little bit short. Saying that, we are making sure we have the adequate levels of services on the street but, there is some pressure there.” The current shortfalls are not due to underfunding. It is due, Mueller said, to a lack of new RCMP officers in B.C. “It’s right across the province,” he said. “Right across the board — resources are short everywhere.” Right now, the Kamloops RCMP detachment receives funding for 120 officers, but has 112 on staff. Mueller called current funding “extremely adequate” and
said he’s optimistic about funding in the future keeping up with demand. “We’re very well supported, but the plan that we have is to do this [add funding for more officers] incrementally,” he said. “I’m very positive we’re going to continue to get the resources we need.” According to Mueller, the Kamloops model of adding a few officers every couple of years is more sustainable than the situations faced by other B.C. detachments. He said the Surrey detachment is in need of more than 45 new officers, while Kelowna needs 22. “I want to make sure we continue like that,” Mueller said. “I realize the economics of policing is such that the cost is a concern. I want to continue in that vein and hopefully we can do it like that.”
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