New police unit has eyes on 16 prolific offenders in city, Mounties say

Photo: Castanet

The Kamloops RCMP detachment's new crime reduction unit has its eye on more than a dozen prolific offenders, according to a recent report to the city.

In a year-end report prepared for a council committee, Mounties said the last few months of 2022 — Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 — marked new unit’s first full quarter of operations. The CRU was launched in late September.

According to RCMP, the CRU currently manages 16 prolific offenders. Five of these offenders are in custody, and two are serving intermittent sentences.

The report noted between March to September 2022, these 16 offenders were involved in 78 police files, with charges recommended 14 times. Nine of these charges were associated with property crimes.

In an an earlier interview, RCMP Supt. Jeff Pelley noted a corporal and two constables would be assigned to work in the unit.

According to the report, the CRU hasn't been fully staffed due to injuries and limited training resources, but officers were still able to submit nearly a dozen charge recommendations, three of which were from a joint operation targeting vehicle thieves.

“Additionally, CRU has continued to advance the BAIT car program, which resulted in charges against an additional three individuals and a search warrant execution that eliminated a small chop shop,” said the report.

The RCMP’s year-end report will be discussed at the city’s community and protective services committee meeting, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Thursday at city hall.