This undated photo shows an auxiliary RCMP officer, a volunteer, and an RCMP officer from Kelowna.
Photo credit: City of Kelowna
March 5th, 2021 – 1:42 p.m.
The City of Kelowna has had community police offices in the Rutland and Lower Mission districts since the mid-1990s, but no longer.
The planned closure of the Lower Mission office and the improvement of services in Rutland not only show a difference in crime but also underscore the importance of the location.
Kelowna City Council will be asked on Monday March 8th to permanently close the mission office in the regional county office on KLO Road. It has been temporarily closed since last year due to COVID-19.
Last May, the two civilian RCMP employees from the KLO office were transferred to the RCMP department in the city center.
“Callers from KLO have now been redirected to the department’s online and main phone services, practically closing the Community Policing Office completely,” a report to the council said. “The employees state that there have been no more complaints since then.”
The office opened on Lakeshore Road in 1996, but moved to the regional county office in 2014. That meant it was only open to the public during regular business hours.
To be successful, such offices must be within easy walking distance and have extended working hours that this office did not have.
An average of 1.25 people per day entered the KLO office, compared to three times as many in Rutland.
The KLO office made an average of 83 phone calls per month, and usage had decreased every year. Rutland called an average of 174 times a month.
The KLO office was not in an “area of high demand / crime or a largely residential area,” the report said.
Opened in 1993, the Rutland office was largely volunteer-run compared to paid staff on KLO Road.
“It is clear that the citizens of Central Kelowna and Rutland, including members of the Uptown Rutland Business Association and the Rutland Residents Association, are committed and want improved police services in their community,” the report said.
As a result, the city planned that a half-time employee should work from the Rutland office to allow full-time front-counter coverage.
The Rutland office meets all the key criteria for a successful operation, the report said. This includes being in an “area with higher needs / crime”.
“This is reflected in the usage and demand of the local population and the expansion of the scope of the Community Policing Office is warranted and well received,” the report said.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2021
