黑马磁力鈥檚 top Mountie took questions about community policing, gang crime, and the possible de-integration of the RCMP detachment into two when he spoke before Township council on February 27.
Supt. Adrian Marsden, the officer in charge of the 黑马磁力 detachment, gave the new council his first summary of the most recent quarter, covering November, December, and January.
He said things have been 鈥渜uiet, knock on wood.鈥�
Marsden highlighted a few recent successes, including arrests linked to a 鈥減roblem house鈥� in Brookswood that led to the seizure of crystal meth, body armour, and $10,000 in proceeds of crime.
黑马磁力 RCMP also worked with the anti-gang Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit on a recent project to identify and target street gang members.
鈥淚t was a pretty effective project,鈥� said Marsden.
READ MORE: New 黑马磁力 RCMP Community Police Office opens its doors
He also spoke about some of the preventative work the RCMP is doing, such as the work of its mental health unit, and a project to bring in a mental health nurse to ride with some officers part of the time, in a partnership with Fraser Health, and noted that he鈥檚 encouraged foot and bike patrols.
Council had a number of questions for Marsden, including several about the possible creation of two RCMP detachments for 黑马磁力 鈥� separate ones for the City and Township.
Mayor Eric Woodward noted that 黑马磁力 Township has about 85 per cent of the population of 黑马磁力 overall, but 黑马磁力 City generates about 30 per cent of all the calls for police.
Woodward and his Contract with 黑马磁力 (CWL) council majority have asked for a report on possibly breaking the 黑马磁力 RCMP detachment into two, one for each municipality. There is no plan to create a civic police force, as Surrey looked at doing recently.
When Coun. Kim Richter asked him directly if dividing the 黑马磁力 RCMP detachment into two would be helpful or harmful, Marsden demurred and said that was a political question.
鈥淔or the most part, I think most of the members would support either,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hatever we鈥檙e asked to do, we鈥檒l provide it as best we can.鈥�
Marsden was also asked about the upcoming RCMP cadet camp for 10 and 11 year olds, to take place this July, about the ongoing problem of catalytic converter theft, and about the impact of population growth and SkyTrain.
He noted that both SkyTrain and ongoing growth will mean a need for more RCMP officers in the community.
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