By Steve Hubrecht
Aside from some personnel changes, it’s business as usual for the Columbia Valley RCMP.
Newly promoted detachment commander Sgt. Jeff Witzke appeared before Invermere council last week, giving a quarterly report from the beginning of July to the end of September. Witzke has been a corporal with the local RCMP for several years and has moved up a rank since current Sgt. Ed deJong is leaving for a new posting in Terrace. (Stay tuned to a future edition of the Pioneer for a profile on Witzke.)
The Columbia Valley detachment dealt with slightly fewer files in the July-September quarter in 2024, as compared with the same quarter a year before, dropping from 1,207 (in 2023) to 1,133 (in 2024).
Of those 1,133 files, 249 (21.9 per cent) were for incidents that occurred in Invermere.
Looking at a larger picture, in the first six months of 2024, the RCMP had 2,722 calls for service, which is once again down slightly from the 2,770 calls they had in the first six months of 2023.
“Overall it was a very similar call volume,” Witzke told Invermere council.
He outlined the local detachment’s efforts to promote road safety, particularly in school zones when schools started back up in September, as well as during the annual Columbia Valley Classic Show and Shine vintage car show, which was also in September.
“We had some messaging around driving behaviour that was, in some cases, ignored this year,” said Witzke, speaking about the Show and Shine. “We will be addressing that next year.”
During the July-September quarter there were 170 reported property offences, which is also down slightly from 176 in the same quarter the year before. Of the 170 property offences, 26 were in Invermere (accounting for 15.2 per cent of the total).
Witzke highlighted community relations efforts undertaken by local police, including visiting local schools, coaching youth sports, and attending community events.
Invermere councillor Gerry Taft asked Witzke if there were any trends the police have seen that council should be aware of, such as with addiction or drug use.
“It (drug use and addiction) kind of goes in waves . . . we know it’s around, but at this point it’s not overly concerning. It’s fairly even-keeled at this moment,” replied Witzke.
Taft pointed to the number of calls for service in Invermere as compared with the rest of the Columbia Valley. “That’s worth keeping an eye on as the population (in Invermere) creeps toward 5,000,” said Taft.
When an incorporated municipality in British Columbia reaches a population of 5,000, it must pay 70 per cent of its own policing costs, while the province pays 30 per cent.
“We’re 22 per cent of calls, not 60 per cent or 70 per cent,” said Taft, adding he hopes that when Invermere does end up with its own police force, he hopes other municipalities and the two rural electoral areas in the valley contribute funding in line with how much time police spend in those areas. He voiced concern that Invermere taxpayers could end up paying more than their fair share for police, as compared with taxpayers in other areas.
