Not unlike other municipalities, Wes Olsen, Ladysmith RCMP detachment Staff Sergeant, is trying to meet the public’s expectations as well as deal with an ever-changing atmosphere of policing.
When asked what was one of the public issues his people face, he responded speeding.
“There are some pockets in town that seem to gather the most attention with speeders,” he said. “Schools and playgrounds are quite common with the ball fields…Dogwood Drive gets a lot.”
The local detachment relies a lot on the help from the Citizens on Patrol with their ‘speed watch’ program. The volunteers work with the RCMP and at times even have a member on site while they do the speed watch.
“The volunteers give us the licence numbers and vehicle makes and then our office send the registered vehicle owners a letter out lining the situation,” he said.
Sending the letters takes staff time as well as the cost of mailing but it’s been found to be effective.
“Having worked in four other Island detachments,” Olsen said, “and they don’t do this as part of their program, so I think we’re ahead on that and the results, I believe, are starting to show it.”
The police use a three strike program in warning speeders with the normal regular speed limit signs as the first strike and then the speed reader boards are usually the second with the actual police being the third strike and if the vehicle is still speeding, the ticket is then issued.
The local detachment does do highway first responder work as well. Olsen said, “it’s our call as to whether we get B.C. Highway Patrol involved. Our first priority is public and traffic safety and that involves local and transient as well.”
The detachment gets, on the average, three calls a day from motorists about erratic drivers on the highway. Anywhere from speeding to cutting vehicles off and other acts of inconsiderate actions.
As far as local crime goes, Olsen stated, “it goes in waves. There is a smallish group that is responsible for most of the trouble calls they receive. Some of them are well known to us and we try to keep a diligent eye on them, but resources are also at a premium. This is not an uncommon problem for police and our services have to be prioritized, at times, win the run.”
Olsen said, “we’re fact collectors. We need to compile as much information as we can as quickly as we can. It takes a lot of officers’ time to write these reports, cross the t’s and dot the i’s.”
The local police forces do not lay any criminal charges. They can recommend that charges be laid, but all the information is passed on to the Crown counsel offices and the decisions to proceed further is left with that department. Crown counsel can decide no charges should be laid, charges should be laid or an alternative to the court process may be appropriate.
According to Olsen, there are fentanyl issues within the community but “we’re not a lot different than any other community with these issues. There are drugs and alcohol in the hands of those who shouldn’t have it, but again it’s hard to follow. There is a transient homeless population, and with areas with larger populations, such as Nanaimo and Duncan, on either side of us who is here today could be gone tomorrow.”
The regular homeless population, in Ladysmith, is smaller as there are not the resources for them here as there is in the other locations.
Olsen said, “we have the right amount for our population but they can’t handle more at this time.”
There are issues not just for RCMP, the situation is just as hard for EHS personnel and nurses. You never know what kind of drugs individuals are on and some of them, such as cocaine, make the suspect feel super human and that puts the emergency workers in harms way. At times they need police and that takes them away from other duties.
What has been an issue in the past, the derelict boats (referred to as dog patch) in Ladysmith Harbour, has not been as much trouble lately, but it’s still an item on the local RCMP docket according to Olsen.
Olsen said, “we do have limited personal but we feel we are managing to keep as much of a handle on local issues. Ladysmith is lucky the officers we have here are quite dedicated, they care about the community and the job they do for it’s citizens.”