Penticton's top cop talks 2022 highlights and challenges

Penticton's head of police says there is plenty positive to report for his detachment in 2022, as well as its share of challenges.

Supt. Brian Hunter says expansions to his force approved by last year’s council have made a big difference already, allowing for quicker response time and improved delivery of services.

“It certainly enhances member wellness too, just having those extra members working, giving the opportunity for a little bit more productive work in the community and really focus on the files that we get,” Hunter said.

He shared a few examples of the officers being at full strength, and the efficiency of their response.

Recently, there was an attempted carjacking in Penticton, and due to the number of police working that day they were able to surround the area and make an arrest within minutes.

Also recently, there was an apartment fire that a patrolling officer came across before it was even dispatched.

“So that’s an example of us being in the community, doing our proactive patrols. The member did go into the building and tried to assist people getting out,” Hunter said.

“It’s a good example of what we can do when we have those extra resources.”

Hunter is also very proud of the detachment’s Prolific Offender Management Team, which has made many arrests in their ongoing attempt to hold criminals who tend to repeat their actions to account.

“Our property crimes are down eight per cent. And our overall crime in Penticton is down six per cent,” Hunter said, speaking year-over-year.

“Now, I know anybody that's been a victim of crime doesn't want to hear that, because we still do have a lot of crime in the community, but we're certainly trending in the right direction. And I'm happy about that.”

Another factor in lowering crime is the Street Enforcement Unit, also known as the drug unit.

They have been working closely with the prolific offender team this year on projects like undercover operations.

“We’ve seized a lot of drugs. We’ve seized a lot of weapons. We’ve executed a lot of search warrants this year,” hunter said, adding that one successful search warrant in particular was a highlight.

“I can't get into a lot of detail because it's an ongoing investigation, but we seized a significant quantity of cocaine and cash from a residence here in Penticton with a value of about $500,000. It's a very significant drug seizure for us.”

Other moments that stand out include police both on and off duty saving lives. A foot patrol officer spotted a family in distress on Skaha Beach this summer and discovered their child was choking. The officer performed the Heimlich maneuver and dislodged a piece of food from the child’s throat.

Also this summer, an off-duty officer leapt into the lake near Naramata when they spotted a toddler who fell off a dock into a strong current. The pair made it back to shore safely.

“So those are some pretty proud moments. I'm proud of the members, for just sticking to the energy of trying to create a safe community. Working their butts off out there, knowing that they're under-resourced, and that times the calls for service are piling up, but they give it their all every single day and I couldn't be more proud of the entire team,” Hunter said.

That said, the team and the community still has its challenges. The detachment still has one of the highest caseloads in the province, and while more officers are on the way, it is currently still an issue.

The year 2022 also brought with it a rise in violence against RCMP.

“We had a police officer that was nearly stabbed to death while doing a wellness check on a person. We had multiple members assaulted, being punched, kicked, spat at. We had our police vehicles rammed and several shots were fired at members and their vehicles this year,” Hunter said.

“Complete disregard for the police and public safety, and I'm very thankful that our members were able to get through the year with any of us losing a loved one. But that violence a toward the police is very challenging, and that creates a difficult environment for police officers.”

He referenced the October murder of Const. Shaelyn Yang, killed while on duty in Richmond, B.C. during a wellness check.

“[She] went in to save their life and ended up in the struggle of her life and was stabbed to death,” Hunter said.

“We’re no different here in Penticton than other communities and we have members that are dedicated to the wellness of our vulnerable clients and that can be a very dangerous environment out there.”

This year also saw a rise in frustration within Penticton over crime, specifically theft and property damage, leading to the formation of “Clean Streets Penticton,” a civilian-led anti-crime group based on Facebook that shares photos of suspected criminals and stolen items with their locations, as well as stories of confronting individuals and taking back property.

The group has steadfastly maintained they are not vigilantes, but Hunter has been wary of some of the activities encouraged.

“Seeing crime in the community, it can be very, very frustrating. It can be very frustrating when it appears that the police aren't doing anything about certain crimes. But keep in mind we have laws, regulations, and only certain authorities can do certain things, and we have to stick to the law and we will continue to do that,” Hunter said.

“I understand the community's frustration and I think that's what spawned that group. But I 100 per cent do not support any vigilante type of activity in our community.”

Looking forward at 2023, Hunter is pleased with some of the programs coming down the pipeline, including the Car 40 program, which pairs mental health professionals with police on patrol.

It was solidified in Kelowna and Kamloops in 2022, and next year, medium-sized detachments like Penticton should be up next.

“I'm very much looking forward to having an assigned psychiatric nurse or health care provider working with the police every day in responding to these calls for service of our most vulnerable clients who are often unhoused suffering from addictions and mental health complications,” Hunter said.

“The hope is that if we can get in and help these folks get out of their, their cycle of say addictions and property crime that we can create a safer community and reduce crimes in the community.

He also hopes to continue to expand the prolific offender program. A recent announcement from the provincial government dedicated $230 million to the BC RCMP over three years, and while it is as yet unclear specifically where that money will go, Hunter hopes whatever Penticton’s share is can be used to “hold those prolific offenders to account,” in concert with the Crown, probation and corrections, and the judiciary.

Another positive for 2023 is the new city council, with whom he has met several times. Hunter reports they have a sincere drive to make community safety a priority.

“It's excellent when you have an entire mayor and council team on board with your police department in doing whatever we can do to make the community a safer place to be,” Hunter said.

“I'm excited about 2023. Lots of great things are happening.”